At Dawson Forest Animal Hospital, we highly recommend cleaning your pets teeth using a toothbrush 3 to 4 times a week, followed by a once-a-year professional dental cleaning using our in house dental machine.
What happens during a professional dental cleaning visit for my dog?
A dental cleaning visit will include a thorough dental examination, teeth cleaning, and polishing to remove the tartar and periodontal disease-causing plaque. This is done while your dog is under general anesthesia. Once anesthetized, our staff will thoroughly examine the mouth, noting abnormalities in the medical record. A dental probe will be used to evaluate gum bleeding and periodontal pockets where food can accumulate and decay if not properly cared for.
When periodontal disease is advanced, it may not be possible to save the badly affected teeth, which may need to be extracted either during the procedure or at a later time. As conditions worsen, pets can suffer from oral pain, abscesses, gum separation, loss of bone that supports teeth, and teeth that are loose and fall out. Bacteria originating in the mouth can travel into the bloodstream and damage the kidneys, heart, lungs and other organs.