Does your pet have bad breath?

DENTISTRY

Many health problems start in the mouth. Plaque, tartar, periodontal disease, and infected teeth serve as a source of inflammation and infection for the rest of the body. There are many ways that dog and cat owners can help their veterinarian provide a healthy mouth for their pet. 

The comprehensive dental health care program at East Maryland Animal Hospital is a very important part of keeping our patients healthy. Our dental cleanings include pre-anesthetic blood work, anesthesia using the latest monitoring technology, state-of-the-art digital  dental radiography which allows us to thoroughly examine the teeth's roots in a very quick manner. We use Oravet® Plaque Prevention Gel, which helps delay further tartar build up after each cleaning. 

Our goal is to prolong the time between cleanings. Periodontal (dental) disease is the number one health problem in 8 out of 10 dogs and cats over the age of 4 years of age. If you never brushed your teeth, your teeth would definitely be a serious health problem. Dental disease at the very least causes halitosis (bad breath), pain, and tooth loss.  Serious dental disease can also lead to kidney, heart, and liver disease because of the low grade systemic bacterial infections in the bloodstream.

General Signs of Oral and Dental Problems:

• Bad Breath
• Yellow brown tartar at the gum line or on teeth
• Reluctant to let you touch the mouth area, pawing at the mouth
• Excessive Drooling
• Problems eating, decreased appetite, or reluctant to hold toys in mouth
• Loose, broken, or missing teeth
• Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
• Blood in saliva or nasal discharge
• Swelling noticable on the outside of the mouth over the root areas

Brushing at home can help to remove plaque, however when plaque builds up and forms calculus (tartar), this cannot be removed by brushing and must be scaled offf.

Our Dental Cleanings include:

1) General Anesthesia: This is necessary in all cleanings in order for us to safely and properly perform the dental examination and professional cleaning. Anesthetic safety is a very important priority at East Maryland and we perform extensive monitoring throughout the procedure. An intravenous catheter is placed in every patient and I.V. fluids are administered throughout to help maintain good blood volume / pressures and systemically hydrate during the procedure. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is performed prior to the dental to make sure the organs can handle the anesthesia and that there are no underlying problems. 

2)  Dental Examination: We perform a thorough exam of the oral cavity and chart your pet's dental health before every cleaning. We probe under the gums, checking for deep pockets. We assess if any additional procedures need to be done such as gingivectomies (removing excessive, overgrown gingiva), or gingival mass removals. 

3)  Ultrasonic and Hand Scaling: This removes plaque and tarter above andbelowthe gum line. A thorough cleaning below the gum line is critical, as this is the area where illness-causing bacteria hide.

4)  Polishing: This helps to smooth the surface of the tooth after scaling andprevent further plaque build up.

5)  C.E.T. Antibacterial Mouth Rinse: This helps reduce bacteria in the mouth during the cleaning process. 

6) Digital Dental Radiography: We utilize state-of-the-art digital x-rays to evaluate the health of each tooth. It is very common to find an underlying problem, such as a tooth root abscess, that would have never been detected without x-rays. Since pets cannot tell us where a minor or major ache in their mouth is - x-rays are critical to catch hidden sources of tooth pain. This helps prevent problems before your pet starts showing symptoms due to dental disease. We radiograph every pet that has a dental cleaning and keep record of the x-ray in your pet's chart. 

OraVet Barrier Sealant: This is applied on every tooth after every dental cleaning and helps to prevent further tartar buildup.

Before After


How You Can Improve Your Pet's Tartar Buildup At Home:

Brushing: Always the "gold standard" in preventing dental disease and achieves the best results. We have pet-safe, flavored toothpaste as well.

C.E.T. Oral Hygiene Rinse: We carry an anti-bacterial, easy to use rinse you can squirt into the mouth daily - especially good for pets that do not allow teeth brushing!

C.E.T. Hextra Chews: Not all dental chews are safe, our C.E.T.® chews have great digestibility and dogs love the taste! Comes in several different sizes.

Hills t/d® diet: The kibble of this prescription diet actually brushes the tooth as the pet bites into it, and can be used as the main diet or supplemented as treats.

OraVet HomeCare Kit: This is also a great alternative to brushing if your pet does not allow it. It is a clear gel that is applied with a swab or your finger across the teeth once a week. This serves as a continual barrier or sealant to help delay tartar buildup. 

Every pet that has a dental cleaning at East Maryland goes home with discharge notes that include "Before" & "After" pictures as well as a printed record of the digital x-rays taken that day.