DENTAL CARE
Good dental hygiene is essential for good health in dogs and cats. Poor dental health can contribute to kidney and heart disease, bad breath as well as cause pain and discomfort.

Dogs and cats primarily suffer from peri-odontal disease (literally means around the tooth) rather than cavities as we do. This starts with plaque and tartar under the gum and causes the gum to move away from the tooth and even cause abscesses. Dogs
can fracture their large chewing teeth as well which leads to pain and tooth loss.

Prevention is very effective in dental care.
a) Daily brushing with pet toothpaste is the gold standard.
b) Dental chews such as Greenies.
c) Annual dental checks with your veterinarian.
d) Large uncut, uncooked bones for dogs.
e) NEVER COOKED BONES
When there might be problems
1) Gingivitis - red and bleeding gums
2) Bad breath (halitosis)
3) Tartar build up – extends under the gums.
4) Plaque film is invisible to the naked eye.
5) Auto-immune (allergic) ulceration especially in cats.

Vet Check
The vet will normally grade your pets’ teeth from 1-5 to help arrive at an estimate.
This will depend on how much tartar is visible and whether there are expected tooth
removals. Often, we cannot see all the teeth until your pet is anaesthetised. This is
particularly so with the back teeth.

What Happens with a Dental?
Your pet is given a general anaesthesia. The teeth are cleaned with an ultrasonic
scaler and hand tools. Getting under the gum is essential which is why they are
anaesthetised.

If any teeth have exposed roots, or the bone has come away from the bottom of the
tooth (furcation) or if the tooth is badly fractured, the tooth is removed. We will use
additional local anaesthetic blocks to help with pain relief. This is either a ‘simple’
extraction like you would have in the dentists’ chair, or surgical which involves
suturing the gum back in place.

Your pet will go home with pain relief every time but only rarely with antibiotics.