Dentistry

Veterinary Dentistry – Clean teeth and healthy gums are essential to your pet’s health. Infections are common in the mouth because they can go undetected for long periods of time. Our veterinary staff regularly performs oral exams, dental cleanings, and periodontal care as part of our comprehensive pet health care.

Unfortunately, signs of dental problems are often subtle, and these problems may go undetected for months or even years. Pet Medical Center of Edmond’s veterinarians recommend regular dental examinations to keep pets healthy. Your pet’s yearly physical examination is a great opportunity for a dental checkup.

Some signs of dental problems include:

• Bad breath, one of the first signs of pet dental disease
• A yellowish-brown crust of plaque on the teeth near the gum line
• Red and swollen gums
• Pain or bleeding when your pet eats or when the mouth or gums are touched
• Decreased appetite or difficulty eating
• Loose or missing teeth

Dental problems, if left untreated, can often lead to larger systemic problems due to oral bacteria entering the bloodstream and damaging the kidneys, heart, and liver. Pet Medical Center of Edmond, Oklahoma, offers excellent veterinary dentistry services from experienced, qualified veterinary professionals.

Dental Radiography

Dental radiography is one of the most important diagnostic tools available to a veterinary dentist. Dental radiographs allow the veterinary dentist to examine the internal anatomy of the teeth, the roots of those teeth, and the bone that surrounds the root. Dental radiographs allow us to provide a high level of dental service to your pets.

We take intra-oral radiographs using small radiographic film or a digital sensor placed inside the pet patient’s mouth. These intra-oral radiographs provide superior quality for examining individual teeth or sections of the jaws compared to standard-sized veterinary radiographs. Because veterinary patients need to be still when the radiographic film or sensor is placed in the mouth, pet patients must be anesthetized or sedated when we take dental radiographs. The radiation risk to the patient from taking dental radiographs is minimal.

Pet Medical Center constantly strives to grow in the knowledge and technology necessary to provide the best possible health care to your pet. Please contact us to schedule your pet’s oral evaluation.

Easy At-Home Dental Care

Brushing is always best! It must be done at least three times per week to achieve great results. Most pets can be trained to accept toothbrushing, and many come to enjoy it. The key is to make it a big deal bonding time for you both. Pet toothpaste comes in many flavors that pets love, like vanilla, mint, and poultry.

1. Start by applying a small amount of pet-specific toothpaste to your finger. Then quickly and gently rub along the top teeth and gum line. Do just this every few days for about four weeks.
2. Next, place a finger brush on your finger, add toothpaste, and do the same thing for about four more weeks.
3. Provided your pet accepts the previous steps, over time you can move up to an actual toothbrush.

Dental Treats, Chews, & Toys

We recommend all of these items to benefit your pet’s dental health:

• Breathalyser water additive in their drinking water.
• Hill’s Prescription Diet T/D for both dogs and cats. This diet can be used as a daily diet or as treats.
• Dentahex Oral care chews for dogs. Your pet can have one of these each day, and they will not interfere with prescription diets. Each chew will provide approximately 18 hours of bacteria-killing benefits.
• Kong chew toys for canines. These toys have rigid grooves that help clean your dog’s teeth as they chew on them, and flavored pastes can be placed in the grooves to make the toy a lot more fun.
• Tartar control treats for cats. You can feed several of these treats a day to help control tartar and plaque buildup.
• Science Diet Oral Care for felines. This is a good alternative food for cats that will promote not only a healthy mouth but also overall good health.

Schedule an Appointment

Call us today at (405) 696-4185, book an appointment online, or stop by our veterinary clinic at 1001 West 15th Street, Edmond, Oklahoma.