Dental Month News

There is the saying “You do not have to be mad, but it helps” that seems to apply to the month of August when we have “Dental Month”. For the last month we have been “flat strap” cleaning and polishing teeth of dogs and cats and fixing the oral problems that occurs in our animals. Oral problems such as dental decay and gum disease are VERY common problems that our animals develop (the same as we do if we do not spend time every day cleaning our teeth) but the only real difference is that the animals do not complain about the pain and the discomfort associated with these oral problems.

There are times when I wish all owners could be in the surgery area when we are dealing the problems that our animals have to endure. These problems include infected gums, exposed roots of teeth, holes in the teeth, teeth that have broken off and leave the pulp exposed, jaw bones that have become infected, holes from the mouth to the nose, tonsillitis associated with the mouth degeneration, gums that have swollen so much that the teeth become covered with the gum, impacted teeth (teeth that have never erupted), root abscesses, ulcers in the mouth and more.

Most of these problems can be prevented or easily fixed with early intervention – all it takes is for the owner to recognise that their animal is prone to developing dental or oral problems (again – the same as we are) and to get their animal’s mouth checked at least once every 6 months (as we do that check for FREE) and when the teeth are starting to show early signs of plaque or tarter then make an appointment to get the teeth cleaned and polished while it is a simple procedure – not expensive to the owner and no pain or suffering for their loved furry friend.

So if you did bring your animal in during Dental Month – congratulations and we encourage you to continue to be diligent and maintain the level of cleanliness in your animal’s mouth by following the instructions given after the procedure and we look forward to keeping your animal in pristine condition. If you did not bring your animal in during Dental Month – we encourage ALL owners to contact us and make a time for one of our trained staff to examine the mouth of your animal (and that costs you NOTHING) and see if there is any problems that need addressing. This area of animal health is so IMPORTANT – the health and happiness (as well as the longevity) of your animal depends on this area of health. Constant pain and discomfort, the inability to eat properly, the amount of bacteria and toxins that enter the body each and every time the animal eats can wear an animal’s health and happiness down and there is time when that bacteria or toxins entering the body can lead to severe problems in the heart valves, the liver, the kidney, the spine and other parts of the body. If you do not believe me – ask your
dentist (yes, the human dentists) how important oral health is to your overall health and happiness.