Every animal that has teeth can develop dental disease. If left untreated, dental disease can cause bad breath, gum infections, jaw infections, tooth abscesses and even generalized disease throughout the body.

The accumulation of tartar causes the gums to be pushed away from the teeth resulting in dangerous infections. The bacteria and toxins associated with these infections that start in the mouth can spread through the blood stream to any part of the body. Organ systems including the heart, liver and kidneys can all suffer damage. Pets that receive timely dental care live on the average 20% longer than pets who do not. These are dramatic statistics!

We treat dental disease as seriously and aggressively as cancer. Dental disease has been called the “Silent Killer”.

Once dental disease is found, dental care is needed. Cleaning the teeth and extracting those beyond salvaging is our first step. While some pets will allow some tartar to be scraped off their teeth, almost none can be convinced to hold still while a thorough cleaning under the gums is done, or while polishing and a fluoride treatment are done. To do a proper cleaning, anesthesia is necessary.

Cleaning tartar from the teeth causes a roughening of the dental enamel that requires polishing afterwards. Without polishing, the plaque and tartar will rebuild even faster. If cleaning is not done under the gum line, nothing of real value has been done for your pet, since it is under the gum line that most of the tooth damage occurs. The fluoride treatment helps promote healing of diseased gums and strengthens teeth. If your pet has had it's teeth cleaned without an anesthetic, only cosmetic  care has been provided. Since the problems under the gum line has not been addressed, disease continues.