We estimate most dogs and cats need a dental cleaning at 5-7 years of age and every 2-3 years after that. The tartar on the teeth is a composite of mineral from saliva, bacteria and food particles. This is what we see initially as soft plaque but then hardens into tartar, which then must be cleaned under general anesthesia with our ultra-sonic scaler. At this time, your pet is under anesthesia and tooth extractions are done if necessary. Antibiotics are crucial before and after dental procedures, as bacteria from the mouth can settle on the heart, kidneys and liver through the bloodstream.

Our dental machine is a Midmark Vetpro 1000 Dental Delivery System complete with an ultra-sonic scaling hand piece and a polishing hand piece, the multi-speed drill with fiber optic lighting and a compressed air and water flush hand piece. This unit allows us to perform the most basic dental cleaning with polishing as well as the most sophisticated tooth extractions. Our drill and tooth sectioning hand piece allows us to carefully cut and remove the most infected tooth and to drill out any remaining tooth roots.  Our compressed air and water flush handle piece as well as the fiber optic light on our drill ensures that we have a clean and visible area to work on ensuring that the best possible job can be done in the delicate procedure of tooth sectioning and extraction. During dental procedures, your pet is constantly monitored by an electronic monitoring device that measures vital parameters to include EKG, respiration, pulse oximeter, and blood pressure.

A good dental cleaning is one of the fastest ways to improve your pet’s health. Call us today to schedule a dental consultation for an evaluation of your pet’s teeth.