Pet Dental

Think of your pet’s mouth as a gateway to their overall health. Neglecting their dental hygiene is like allowing weeds to take root in a beautiful garden.

Here’s why prioritizing your pet’s dental health can be important:

• Preventing Pain and Discomfort: Dental disease, a common ailment in pets, can cause pain, inflammation, and difficulty eating.
• Safeguarding Overall Health: Bacteria from dental infections can travel through the bloodstream, potentially affecting vital organs like the heart, kidneys, and liver.
• Preserving Those Precious Pearly Whites: Regular dental care can help prevent tooth loss and preserve their bright smiles.

Our furry companions can be masters of disguise, often hiding their pain until it becomes unbearable. Here are some subtle signs that your pet might be struggling with dental discomfort:

• Bad Breath: While a certain degree of “doggy breath” is normal, persistent bad breath can be a red flag for dental disease.
• Changes in Eating Habits: If your pet is eating less, dropping food, or favoring one side of their mouth, it could indicate dental pain.
• Excessive Drooling: While some drooling is normal, excessive drooling might warrant a trip to the veterinarian.
• Pawing at the Mouth: If your pet is pawing at their mouth or rubbing their face excessively, it could indicate dental discomfort.

At Hofmann Veterinary Clinic, we want to help all our pet patients get a lifetime of healthy smiles. Our team is here to partner with you in safeguarding your furry friend’s dental health.

We’re here to:

• Provide Routine Cleanings: Just like humans, our pets benefit from regular professional dental cleanings, which involve removing plaque and tartar buildup under anesthesia.
• Offer Preventative Care: We can provide guidance on at-home dental care, including brushing techniques and chews.
• Address Dental Issues Promptly: If your pet is experiencing dental pain or infection, we offer different treatments to help them get relief.

Why…

An Examination is needed prior to booking a dental for the doctor to see the pet and establish how severe the dental disease may be. Our quotes may include some extraction time depending on the level the dental disease is at. During this dental exam it is also recommended to perform Pre-surgical blood work to ensure your pet is healthy enough to be placed under general anesthesia.

Dental X-rays are used to view what we cannot see, the ROOTS! Often when dental disease goes unnoticed and progresses the roots bear the burden of being attacked by the built-up bacteria in the mouth. When roots are eaten away pockets are left behind where bacteria continue to flourish. When this occurs the only solution is to remove the tooth, clean the pocket, and seal the opening. This gives the pet’s gum a chance to properly recover and ease discomfort that may have resulted from the bacteria.

Scaling! This removes tartar and plaque buildup that will NOT go away with just brushing. Using our ultrasonic scaler we also remove bacteria building up under the gum line that typically is not seen. This greatly reduces gingival inflammation and helps provide relief.

Polishing is our final touch of protection for your pet’s teeth. Polishing helps remove grooves created by the scaler that can later be used to hold bacteria. It also helps protect the teeth for longer thus prolonging the time before any plauge re-builds on the tooth surface.

Why Anesthetic?

General anesthesia is used for all dental procedures. Performing dental cleaning without general anesthetic comes with multiple risks and does NOT allow for a full proper mouth examination and cleaning.

Risks for Cleaning without Anesthetic Use

• Pets can become very stressed and possibly harm themselves or technicians if having oral discomfort
• Bacteria below the gumline often gets left behind without anesthetic use so dental disease continues to progress where it cannot be seen
• Should a broken/painful tooth be found, it can not be removed and will continue to cause discomfort
• Polishing is often not completed thus leaving behind grooves for bacteria to reside in and re-build plaque faster.
• Often without anesthetic, we cannot fully examine the pet mouth, gums, and throat. Without this aid, if issues are occurring then the source of the issue can be missed.