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Pet Dental in Brentwood

How You Can Take Better Care of Your Pet’s Dental Health

According to dental experts, we are advised to brush our teeth at least two times per day. We adhere to this practice because we understand how important it is for our dental health. Unfortunately, we often forget to take care of our pet’s dental health.

Taking care of your pets’ dental health ensures that they live a long healthy life. Proper dental care for pets minimizes diseases, pain, and bad breath. A research on dogs and cats reveals that more than 70 percent of pets older than 3 years have some signs of the periodontal disease. This disease is responsible for the bad breath and pain.

Periodontal disease can also lead to infections that may complicate the health of the pet seriously. Despite its dire consequences, the disease can be prevented easily by taking better care of the pet. Taking good care of the pet should begin at its early stages of life.

For adult pets with dental disease, managing the condition will require making a visit to an animal hospital. Proper care should be continued at home to ensure the disease is not only eradicated but also prevented from coming back.

What can be done to maintain good dental hygiene?

Mouth Cleaning Foods

Although most of the pet food meets the nutritional requirements, it’s important to consider some foods that have been specially formulated to help maintain the pet’s dental hygiene. Pet owners are advised to feed their pets with foods that help to keep their teeth clean.

There are foods such as dog biscuits that have been designed, shaped, and textured to give a mechanical brushing on a pet’s teeth. When the pet chews the food, it helps to remove most of the tartar and plaque. These types of foods also contain nutrients that help to keep the mouth healthy.

Bones and Chews

Bones and chewy foods encourage pets such as dogs to chew. When chewing, the pet is able to rub off the plaque and spread saliva throughout the mouth effectively. Although not all dogs are able to chew bones, it is important to offer them bones in their diet.

When offering bones, it is advisable to offer them bones that are larger than their heads to avoid swallowing.

Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth

According to scientific research, plaque begins to accumulate as little as 12 hours after brushing or cleaning of the teeth. Therefore, it is important to clean your pet’s teeth every day to keeps the pet’s mouth healthy.

To clean your pet’s mouth, you need a microfiber clothing, pet toothpaste, and a double-headed toothbrush. Most standard dental pet kits available at animal hospitals come with all the three products. It is important to remember that you cannot use human toothpaste on pets because it contains fluoride. Fluoride is not suitable for pets since it can affect their health adversely.

Dental Cleaning

Prophylaxis refers to a process in which plaque and tartar are cleaned and removed from the entire mouth. The dentist assesses the entire mouth, which comprises of the tongue, teeth, lips, and gum.

Dental cleaning is performed when the pet is under anesthesia; this protects the pet from feeling pain when the doctor is performing the cleaning. It also allows the Pet Dental Brentwood to inspect the pet’s mouth completely and properly and remove all the tartar and plaque.

The following is usually carried out while the pet is undergoing a dental cleaning

  • Removal of visible tartar, plaque, or any other physical debris from the mouth
  • Removing all the foreign matter from under the gum
  • Examining the dental sockets to check for dental diseases
  • Smoothening of rough enamel that attracts bacteria
  • X-rays examination to asses under the gums
  • Application of dental sealers
  • Repair or complete removal of infected teeth
  • Dental charting to monitor the progress of dental diseases
  • The whole inspection of the entire mouth or any other problems the pet may have

How can you tell your pet needs a dental cleaning?

From time to time, you need to perform an inspection that will help you identify dental problems at an early stage. Brownish building on the teeth, bad breath, loose teeth, drooling, difficulty in chewing, redness, or bleeding may indicate poor dental health.

Where can I get help?

You can visit our veterinarian Brentwood office from 8 am to 6 pm every day, Monday to Saturday. The Pet Dental Brentwood office will clean your pet’s teeth and advise you on how to take better care of your pet.

Contact Fairview Animal Hospital in Brentwood today to schedule an appointment for your pet’s dental exam! 925-626-7284