Dental Cleaning
Oral health is an important factor in your pet's overall well being. We perform routine check-ups on your pet's teeth and gums, and we also recommend full cleanings once a year. This allows us to closely examine your pet's mouth, check for lesions or abnormalities, remove tartar and plaque, and polish their teeth.
Periodontal disease is a breed predilection, so certain breeds are more at risk and require dental cleanings more often. Periodontal disease is also linked to heart disease and other internal organ health, so regular cleanings are key to overall pet health.
To perform the dental cleaning your pet will be put under anesthesia to prevent them from moving around and to allow the doctor to perform a full examination and cleaning. We make sure that your pet is comfortable and perfectly safe during the entire process. While your pet is under the doctor examines the mouth, gums, tongue, cheeks, and teeth. This can reveal any cases of lesions, gum disease, tooth decay, or other problems. When these are discovered, they can usually be handled during the treatment. After examining the mouth the doctor will complete a thorough cleaning, polish, and fluoride treatment above the gum line, and ultrasonic waves under the gum line to address dental disease. It is believed that the "black" bacteria that causes mouth odor, lives under the gumline. So this is a critical and often missed part of every dental cleaning.
Dental Sealants are now being widely used in veterinary medicine. The two types of sealants are 1/Oravet and 2/Sanos. Both are applied after the dental cleaning, but Oravet does require a weekly product applied to activate sealant. The Sanos can be applied as a touch up under light sedation at 6 month post dental check ups.
Digital Dental Radiology is coming to SFAH. We know the importance of full mouth/teeth radiographs in the human field, and know how important this is with our animals, too. Considering most of the disease process in both species is below the gumline and not visible, digital radiographs are critical to address underlying disease and pain in our pets. At SFAH we believe in having the tools to practice and offer best medicine and care of our beloved animals.
