| |

Toothbrushing

General Comments About Oral Hygiene For Your Pet: Oral health is a function of professional therapy and continual home care. One procedure without the other will result in failure. The type and amount of home care necessary depends upon the extent of oral pathology present. This varies from animal to animal. Some pets get away…

| |

Dental Diets, Treats & Antiseptics

Dental Diets, Dental Treats and Chewing Exercise: There is no solid research that supports many of the dental health claims made by many manufacturers of diets, treats and chew objects for pets. The masticatory forces on food can create frictional forces that are physically able to prevent accumulation of plaque, and even remove it. Where…

| |

Safe and Appropriate Chew Toys for Dogs

Fractured pet teeth are one of the more common dental problems encountered by veterinary dentists. Broken teeth, more often than not, have exposed pulp tissues that subsequently become infected. Just like for humans, apical infection (apical periodontitis, dental “abscesses”) will occur in a matter of time. They are painful and cause exposure of the body to…

| | |

Anesthesia Free Dental Cleanings

At ADOS we are more frequently encountering dogs that have had “Anesthesia-Free Dental Cleanings” or what has been termed “Non-professional Dental Scaling” (NPDS). The alternative is professional dental scaling that require general anesthesia. There are a few reasons for this notable increase. This is primarily the result of more owners being aware of the importance…

|

My Pet Is Old Or Has An Underlying Medical Condition and I Am Afraid Of Anesthesia

At Animal Dentistry & Oral Surgery we are pet lovers, so we understand your concern. We always indicate that there are risks associated with anesthesia, which is why it is important to evaluate a pet fully prior to anesthesia to determine if an anesthetic procedure will be safe for them and that the risk are warranted to…

|

My Pet’s Veterinarian Says That They Have Bad/Diseased Teeth, What Should I Do?

If your veterinarian says your dog or cat’s teeth are bad or diseased, it often means that your pet has significant periodontal disease and an evaluation under anesthesia including intra-oral radiographs would be recommended to evaluate the teeth further. This is a circumstance in which you should ask your veterinarian to refer you to a board…

|

What If My Dog Or Cat Has Bad Breath?

Bad “Dog Breath” or “Kitty Breath” is a sign of infection and periodontal disease in your pet’s mouth. Typically the worse the breath smells the worse the disease. This is a sign you should bring your pet in for a complete oral health exam and dental cleaning. Once your pet’s teeth have been cleaned and any diseased teeth have been…

|

Some of my Pet’s puppy/kitten teeth never fell out? What if my pet’s adult teeth are coming in and the puppy/kitten teeth are still there?

If your pet is about six to eight months old, most of their puppy or kitten (deciduous) teeth should have fallen out. If you are seeing adult teeth come in and the deciduous teeth are still present they may not fall out on their own. This is concern because the puppy’s or kitten’s deciduous teeth may prevent the adult…

|

What if my dog or cat has a broken tooth?

If you can see that your pet’s tooth is actively bleeding, this means that the pulp has been exposed. The pulp is where the blood supply and nerves are located, making is a painful condition, but depending on the individual pet they may or may not show signs of being bothered by this. If you notice a distinct black…