Vet Dental Care For Your Pet's Health
Routinely scheduled dental care is a critical aspect of an animals' oral and overall health and wellbeing.
However, most pets don't get the oral hygiene care that they need at home in order to help keep their teeth and gums healthy.
When oral health issues aren't properly addressed at home and by a veterinary professional, they can contribute to illness as bacteria from the oral cavity is circulated around the body through the bloodstream, affecting your pet's potential lifespan and well-being.
Our Turlock vet hospital veterinary hospital provides complete dental care for your pet, from basics such as dental exams, teeth cleanings and polishing, to dental X-rays and surgeries.
We also make a point of providing dental health education to pet owners about home dental care for their pets. We want to help you help your pet have the best health they possibly can!
Veterinary Dental Surgery in Turlock
We understand that finding out that your pet needs dental surgery can be overwhelming. We strive to make this process as stress-free as possible, for you and for your pet.
We'll do everything we can to ensure your pet's experience with us is comfortable and easy. We'll break down each step of the process to you in detail before the procedure, including preparation and post-operative care requirements.
We offer jaw fracture repair surgeries, tooth extractions, and gum disease treatment for dogs and cats.
Pet Teeth Cleaning & Exams
The most effective way to protect your pet from dental disease is through professional cleanings. We perform thorough cleanings, including the area beneath the gums that you can’t see or access at home. Like your own annual dental checkup, your pet should come in for a dental examination at least once a year. Pets who are more prone to dental problems than others may need to see us more often.
Community Veterinary Clinic can assess, diagnose and treat dental health problems in cats and dogs.
- Symptoms
If you notice your pets exhibiting any of the following symptoms, it's time for a dental checkup.
- Tartar buildup
- Loose and/or broken teeth
- Extra teeth or retained baby teeth
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Bad breath
- Pain or swelling in or around the mouth
- Reduced appetite or refusal to eat
- Difficulty chewing, drooling, or dropping food
- Discolored teeth
- Assessment
Before your pet's dental exam, a thorough pre-anesthetic physical assessment will be completed on your pet.
We will take blood and urine analyses to ensure it's safe for your pet to undergo anesthesia. If deemed necessary by your vet, additional diagnostics such as chest radiographs or an ECG may also be conducted.
Once your pet is under anesthesia, we will conduct a complete oral examination (tooth by tooth) and charting.
- Treatment
Your pet's teeth are then cleaned and polished (including under the gum line) and X-Rays are taken. A fluoride treatment is then applied to each tooth.
Finally, a dental sealant is applied to prevent plaque from attaching to the enamel. If advanced periodontal disease is found, the veterinarian will develop a treatment plan and discuss it with you.
- Prevention
Ideally, a follow-up examination will be scheduled 2 weeks after the first assessment and treatment appointment.
During this follow-up, your vet will discuss introducing teeth brushing into your pet's at-home care routine. We can also recommend products that can help improve your pet's oral health.
Pet Dental Care FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions from our clients about pet dental care.
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How can I tell if my pet has oral hygiene issues?
Did you know your pet's behavior may be an indication of oral health problems? When experiencing dental problems, they may drool excessively (and the drool may contain pus or blood), or you may notice them pawing at their mouth or teeth. They may also yawn more often, grind their teeth, or stop grooming adequately.
Other signs of oral health problems include foul breath, swollen or reddened gums, and tooth discoloration. Some pets could even experience pain that keeps them from eating. Read more about symptoms to the left under Pet Teeth Cleaning & Exams.
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What happens during a pet teeth cleaning appointment?
During your pet’s routine oral exam, the vet will examine the patient's mouth and look for oral health conditions or any symptoms needing treatment.
The vet will then clean tartar and other debris from your pet's teeth. If cavities, gingivitis, or other conditions need to be addressed, the vet will explain these to you and provide advice on which actions you should take.
Depending on the case, surgery may be needed to treat serious conditions. Your pet will undergo anesthesia before their dental procedure to ensure they are comfortable and do not experience any pain, but special care will be needed post-surgery.
If you notice any of these symptoms, schedule a dental appointment with us.
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What long-term problems can poor oral health potentially cause in my pet?
Aside from causing problems ranging from cavities and bad breath to severe periodontal disease, oral health issues can cause disease in the liver, kidney, heart, and other areas throughout your pet's body.
Your pet may not feel well in general (if you've ever had a toothache, you know how it can affect your mood), but additionally, diseases related to oral health conditions can shorten the lifespan of your pet and cause significant pain.
Regular dental care is essential to our companion animals' physical health and wellbeing.
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What should I do at home to keep my pet’s teeth clean between dental appointments?
At home, you can integrate teeth brushing into your pet's grooming routine and give them dental chew toys. These will help eliminate plaque.
Do not allow them to chew on things that will damage their teeth or hurt their mouth, such as bones, toys, or objects that are too hard. Always contact your vet with any questions or concerns regarding your pet's oral health.
- Tartar buildup
- Loose and/or broken teeth
- Extra teeth or retained baby teeth
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Bad breath
- Pain or swelling in or around the mouth
- Reduced appetite or refusal to eat
- Abnormal chewing, drooling, or dropping food from the mouth
- Discolored teeth
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Why do pets need their teeth cleaned?
Just as we can, our pets can develop periodontal disease or tooth decay as a result of poor oral health.
When animals eat, plaque sticks to their teeth and can build up into tartar if not brushed away regularly.
Plaque buildup can lead to infections in the mouth, periodontal disease, tooth decay, and even loose or missing teeth. That's why regular dental care is essential to preventing pain or disease in the gums.
Veterinary Dentistry & Anesthesia
Because animals do not understand what is going on during dental procedures, they may react to dental procedures by struggling or biting.
Like the anesthesia available to nervous or anxious human patients, our Turlock vets provide anesthesia to all of our patients before performing dental procedures. This puts less stress on the animals and allows us to X-ray their mouth as needed.