February was officially established as National Pet Dental Health Month in 1993 by the AVDS, the American Veterinary Dental College and the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry. In honor of dental month, Arrow Springs and Heritage Veterinary Hospitals are offering 10% off of dentals in the month of February.
When your pet is admitted to the hospital for a dental cleaning, it is usually after a recent physical exam that indicated that your pet had some level of periodontal disease, plaque accumulation or gingivitis.Studies have shown that 85% of all dogs and cats over one year old have some degree of periodontal disease. Imagine what our mouths would look like if we never brushed!!
Our dental cleanings include scaling the teeth, polishing the teeth and a fluoride treatment. We also offer in-house pre-surgical blood work.
The pet owner is an integral part of our dental team. Home care is the single most important procedure the owner can do to maintain oral health. If performed regularly, daily brushing will dramatically increase the interval between teeth cleaning appointments.
Plaque is constantly being made and deposited in the mouth. Humans have a buildup of plaque in the morning, that makes our breath smell bad. Proper home care can keep plaque buildup under control. The goal of dental home care is to remove plaque from tooth surfaces and gingival sulci before it mineralizes into calculus, a process that occurs within days of a teeth cleaning. Success depends on the owner's ability to daily brush the teeth, as well as the dog or cat's acceptance of the process. True oral cleanliness can only be achieved through the mechanical action of toothbrush bristles above and below the gingiva.
Home care is best started at a young age before the adult teeth erupt. The perfect time to introduce dental home care is at the first puppy or kitten visit. The client-animal bond as well as the client-veterinary bond is enhanced when daily brushing is performed following instructions given at the animal hospital.
Clients often ask, "doesn't hard food keep teeth clean?" Some believe when their dog or cat chews on hard food or biscuits, mineral deposits are broken down and the teeth stay clean. This is not true. True, animals on soft diets accumulate plaque more readily than those on dry foods, but the only way to keep teeth clean above and below the gum line is by daily brushing.
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