Research proves: Dental care for your pets is essential to overall health and longevity. At All Creatures Veterinary Hospital of Brooklyn, we provide regular exams, teeth cleaning, and basic dental care for pets. And we support owners in creating a home care dental routine.
Pet Dental Services: Essential for Health & Longevity
Pets with damaged teeth, dental infections, oral lesions, and gum disease often suffer significant pain, and are at risk for more serious diseases of the heart, kidneys, and liver. Such pain and physical harm is preventable, however, with a veterinary dental care plan.
How It Works
Dental care for dogs, cats, and other small pets involves only a few basic steps:
- Routine exams
- Dental cleanings and treatment
- Home maintenance
Routine Exams
Oral exams occur during the annual wellness visit, as part of our wellness care program. Our veterinarians assess the condition of teeth and gums, and make recommendations for cleanings or necessary treatments.
Dental Cleanings & Treatment
A thorough exam and deep cleaning is performed while the patient is anesthetized, for comfort and safety. While your pet is asleep, we remove hidden plaque, tartar, debris, and infection above and below the gum line. We scrape off plaque and tartar with dental tools, like those used by human dentists. Polishing the teeth removes tiny scratches and pits that may cause decay or weaken a tooth. We also perform any treatments, such as repairs or extractions, during this procedure. We may also take digital dental X-rays, to ensure an accurate and complete diagnosis.
Small mammals may only require teeth grinding at this time. How often a patient requires professional teeth cleaning and treatments will vary depending upon the pet’s age, type, breed, dietary issues, and lifestyle.
Home Maintenance
Regular tooth brushing — daily or at least several times a week — is considered the gold standard of dental home care in cats and dogs. Ideally, you should begin at a young age, to allow your pet time to become accustomed to oral care. Before introducing a toothbrush, you can help your pet get used to having their mouth manipulated by occasionally massaging their gums and lips to decrease touch sensitivity. This process is easier if you begin while they are puppies or kittens, so if you have an adult pet it may take a little bit longer. But, with patience, persistence, and routine, we still have a chance of success.
We suggest the following schedule for introducing your pet to tooth brushing, but keep in mind that it may take some trial and error to determine your pet's preferences:
Week 1
Pick an enzymatic pet toothpaste (such as Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste) and flavor that your pet enjoys. Typical flavors include chicken, beef, and seafood. Never use human toothpaste for your pet, as these are not meant to be swallowed. Start with a pea-sized amount as a treat, at the same time each day, for a full week.
Week 2
Determine your pet's toothbrush of preference — some pets prefer a finger brush, which you fit over your finger, to a regular pet toothbrush. This is the time to get your pet accustomed to the look and feel of the bristles. Apply the toothpaste to the brush, and set it down for your pet lick the bristles as a treat.
Week 3
While giving your pet the toothpaste, touch their face and muzzle. Lift their lips and rub the gums and teeth to desensitize them. Then place toothpaste on the brush and allow them to lick it while continuing to manipulate their face and mouth. You should start with brushing the front teeth, then gradually move to the rear teeth, until you are able to build trust and familiarity with the routine.
Despite our best efforts, some cats and dogs are extremely resistant to toothbrushing — they fight it tooth and nail! For these pets, options such as oral rinses with a chlorhexidine or zinc base can help (to a lesser degree) maintain oral health. Another option is a barrier sealant gel that can be applied weekly.
Dental diets are another method of passive oral care. There are two dietary formulations: chemical and mechanical. (They are also categorized based on whether they work against plaque, tartar, or both.) Diets that contain SHMP (a salt that dissolves in water) work chemically to reduce tartar, but not plaque. However, by preventing tartar formation, they also help to minimize larger surface areas on which plaque can form. Dental treats work the same way, most often coated with SHMP. On the other hand, treats such as Greenies are designed to mechanically control plaque and tartar by abrasion as the pet chews on them. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) was established by dentists and researchers to review and approve products that effectively help to delay plaque and tartar buildup in cats and dogs. For current information on approved treats, diets, and toothpastes, visit www.VOHC.org.
Although chew toys are not proven to have a significant effect on reducing plaque and tartar, they are widely promoted as beneficial to dental health due to the abrasive action they can have on the teeth. Chew toys such as kong balls are designed to be safe for chewing. However, many chew toys found in pet stores, including cow hooves, hard nylon bones, and natural, sterilized bones, can actually be harmful to your pet's teeth and are capable of causing dental fractures. Aggressive chewing of tennis balls can also cause abrasion of teeth, especially when dirt and sand become incorporated within the felt of the ball. Always monitor your pet when providing chew toys and remember: If you can't dent the chew with your fingernail, it's too hard for your pet's teeth!
Symptoms of Dental Problems
Indicators of problems in your pet’s mouth include foul breath, red or inflamed gums, darkened teeth, loose or damaged teeth, excessive drooling, and tumors or cysts in the mouth. Significant dental pathology can sometimes be present with surprisingly few outward signs.
Contact ACVHB for your pet dental care needs.
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