So your Veterinarian recommended a dental cleaning. Naturally, you're a little curious and apprehensive. We understand! Hopefully this post can answer some of your questions. In the human world, teeth cleanings are recommended every 6 months and that's with us brushing and flossing twice daily. Imagine not ever brushing your teeth and never having a professional cleaning...yuck! Teeth cleanings, otherwise known in the Veterinary world simply as dentals, are medical procedures done under general anesthesia. During this procedure the teeth and mouth are thoroughly examined, the teeth are ultrasonically and hand scaled to remove plaque and then polished. Also loose and infected teeth can be extracted.
Dentals are not just cosmetic! While your pet will get whiter teeth and fresher breath, there are so many more benefits. Removing bacteria-laden plague will prevent or slow down the 4 stages of periodontal disease which can cause pain and tooth loss. Also, if your pet has a loose or infected tooth, removing it will eliminate any pain. Additionally, plaque, when left unchecked can cause serious heart and kidney damage.
Anesthesia is a must! In order to safely scale and polish your pet's teeth, they must be under anesthesia. Many pet owners are afraid to have their pet's teeth cleaned because of this. While any kind of anesthetic procedure has risks, complications are few and far between and we do everything we can to make it as safe as possible. While they are under, your pet with be intubated to prevent aspiration of fluids and have access to the airway in case of emergency. Also monitoring equipment is used to ensure safety.
Some groomers will advertise anesthesia-free cleanings but a bit of advice: Don't do it! They use sharp hand-scaling instruments that can cut or cause injury to the gums. Also this procedure only removes the plaque that is above the gum line; it's the plaque that's below the gum line that causes the periodontal disease. Also, by scaling without polishing they create microgrooves on the tooth surface that allow plaque to build faster than before. Because of this many states have already banned this dangerous procedure.
Dental cleanings are great for prevention and treatment of periodontal disease. If your veterinarian has recommended this procedure, they have your pet's best interest in mind.
-Amanda Ward, R.V.T
Kutter Pet Care Center
No comments:
Post a Comment