Proper veterinary dental care can mean a healthy pet. Cats and dogs develop teeth and gum problems as early as the age of 3 years due to poor dental hygiene. A cat or dog with teeth problems will also have bad breath and even internal problems due to the bacteria that enter the blood flow from the inflamed dental areas.
Home Dental Care
You can perform your pet’s dental cleaning at home. Make sure you get products that were created for pets; human toothpaste shouldn’t be used.
You should brush your pet’s teeth at least once per day. This will remove the bacteria and the plaque. The plaque is an accumulation of food remains and saliva components. This film of plaque can be easily removed. If you fail to do so, however, the plaque will mineralize, forming tartar. Tartar adheres to the enamel of the tooth and needs to be removed by a dental professional. Tartar can cause tooth decay and gum disease and eventually, it will lead to tooth and bone loss.
If the bacteria from an inflamed tooth enters the bloodstream, this may affect the major internal organs; consequently veterinary dental care is highly important.
Brushing your pet’s teeth can be problematic, as pets don’t like foreign objects in their mouths. However, if you get your pet used to brushing, he will be happy to let you brush his teeth.
At the beginning, you should consider the brushing as a game or a feeding session. Give your pet a bit of the toothpaste (of a flavor your pet likes). Rub a bit of toothpaste on your pet’s teeth using your finger. After your pet gets used to your finger, gently introduce the pet toothbrush and use circular moves to clean his teeth.
Use a special pet mouth rinse after brushing.
You can also opt for dental treats instead of softer, gummier treats that can cause a lot of damage and can stick to your pet’s teeth promoting decay.
Dental Appointment for Your Pet
The vet may often recommend a dental appointment for your pet. A professional cleaning is recommended once per year.
Your pet will be anesthetized, so that the cleaning can be done thoroughly.
The pet dental professional will scale the possible deposits of tartar and may polish the pet’s teeth. If there are any badly decayed teeth, these must be extracted.
A full examination of the gum and the teeth will also be performed, so as to ensure your pet has no imminent problems.
There are several options for treating decayed teeth in pets. Just like humans, pets can get root canals or dental crowns. Talk to a veterinary dental specialist about your options.
In case your pet has bad breath, this is most likely caused by tooth decay. To prevent bad breath and other health issues that start with tooth decay and gum disease, you need to maintain a daily dental brushing schedule and get a professional cleaning when needed.
Dry food and chew treats may also contribute to dental cleaning.