Dentistry
Scale and Polish
A professional dental clean, also known as a “scale and polish”, is designed to remove not only the visible plaque and tartar on your pet’s teeth but also the bacteria under the gums that can’t be removed with dental care treatments at home. Dental cleaning helps prevent future tooth decay and gum disease and we therefore recommend performing routine scale and polish procedures to help maintain your pet’s oral hygiene at an optimal level.
Radiographs
Dental x-rays in pets are similar to those taken in humans and are a critical piece of information used in the diagnosis and treatment planning of your pet’s oral health. They allow your veterinarian to see inside your pet’s teeth and those areas below the gumline that are hidden from view.
It is not always obvious from the outside if your pet’s teeth are diseased as 60% of the tooth lies under the gums. X-rays allow the assessment of the tooth, root, bone as well as nasal cavity, sinus and blood vessels/nerves. Once the level of dental disease is identified, our vets can treat the problem and relieve your pet of any pain and discomfort.
Teeth Extractions
There are many possible reasons why your pet may require a tooth to be extracted, periodontal disease being among the most common of causes. Dental extraction is crucial as once a diseased tooth is removed and the area is cleaned of infected debris, the patient can finally be relieved of the pain and infection. Infections caused by periodontal disease are not only uncomfortable and smelly, but major organ systems are at increased risk of infection should bacteria from an infected tooth enter the bloodstream. A fractured tooth, stubborn deciduous teeth (baby teeth), oral trauma, oral tumours and orthodontic abnormalities can all be reasons for tooth extractions.
Dental Care at Home
Daily tooth maintenance should ideally be a part of your at-home dental care but even brushing twice a week can remove most plaque before it can mineralise into tartar. There are a number of ways you can maintain your pet’s dental care at home and we stock a range of products such as specially designed pet toothbrushes and toothpastes, dental treats, dental diets and water additives to assist you.
Feeding a good quality dental diet is a great way to clean your pet’s teeth. At WestVETS, we can provide you with a prescription diet that is specifically tailored to allow your pet to be fed a healthy well-balanced diet while reducing the accumulation of plaque and calculus on their teeth.
Our trained staff will be able to advise you on which options are best for your pet’s breed and your lifestyle.
