Good Dental Care for Your Pet’s Better Health

Your pet’s bad breath is not something the two of you have to suffer through. In actuality, it may be an indication that it’s time for a cleaning or your pet may have a dental concern that needs to be addressed. It’s a common misconception that pets’ teeth are cleaned well enough by eating dry food or chewing on rawhide. However, regular dental exams and periodontal treatments including professional cleanings are essential to your pet’s well-being. Dental issues are very common with pets, and they are also largely preventable and treatable. It is worth noting that 80% of dogs and cats 3 years of age and older have dental disease. Many of these issues would have been avoided had proper dental care been followed from day one.

When you bring your pet in for a dental cleaning, we start with a thorough examination. After the initial exam, we give your pet anesthesia to keep him or her comfortable during the cleaning and periodontal probe. At Intermountain Pet Hospital, we believe so strongly in the importance of dental care that we spend two to three times longer in our dental exams than other veterinarians do. The extra time is spent on a number of procedures other animal hospitals simply don’t do. These include:

• We do full-mouth X-rays, because 40% of dental issues are under the gum line and undetectable without regular X-rays.
• We accurately chart everything we see during your pet’s periodontal therapy. Documenting chips, fractures, pockets under the gum line, and other abnormalities is a time-consuming process, but it allows us to give your pet the most complete and accurate care possible. We are then able to follow up on these minor issues at the next exam to prevent them from becoming major issues in the future. Extra precaution early allows us to ensure your pet’s best dental health.
• While under general anesthesia, your pet is completely monitored by a nurse dedicated to that task. Throughout the procedure, if there are any changes in your pet’s vitals, the nurse alerts the veterinarian so they can be addressed quickly.

We understand that brushing your pet’s teeth can be an intimidating task, so we’ll be happy to give you tips while you’re in the office, as well as send you home with detailed instructions about caring for your pet’s teeth. In addition, your pet will go home with a free toothbrush and toothpaste, so you can continue to ensure your pet’s good dental health throughout the year.