Dental Care

Keeping your pet's teeth clean and healthy doesn't just prevent bad breath. Proper dental care can prevent periodontal disease, the build-up of bacteria and plaque on your pet's teeth and gums. Left untreated, periodontal disease can cause bleeding and inflammation of the gums, gum recession, alveolar bone loss and tooth mobility. As the disease progresses, the bacteria can travel through the blood and damage your pet's heart, liver and kidneys. Periodontal disease is extremely common, and more than 80 percent of dogs and cats have this problem by four years of age.

Dental exams and cleanings every six to 12 months can help prevent periodontal disease and lead to better health for your pet. Your pet's dental cleaning begins with a physical examination, in order to evaluate your pet's health and determine the appropriate anesthesia to be used during the procedure. Tartar is removed from your pet's teeth with a hand scaler; next, a periodontal probe checks for pockets under the gumline - where periodontal disease and bad breath start. An ultrasonic scaler is then used to clean above the gumline, while a curette cleans and smoothes the teeth under the gumline. Your pet's teeth are then polished and a fluoride treatment is given to help delay tartar build-up. Following the cleaning, we can discuss with you how best to care for your pet's teeth at home.

Digital Dental Radiology

New Haven Pet Hospital is pleased to offer digital dental radiology. The benefit of having a digital x-ray machine is that it decreases the amount of time your pet is under the anesthetic. As soon as the x-ray is taken it appears on our computer screen, giving the Veterinarian an immediate "view" of a specific area of your pet's tooth, jaw, or nasal passage.

With digital radiology we are able to detect:

Pockets of tartar and infection along the root and gum line.
Fractures of the lower or upper jaw, teeth, and roots.
Cancer of the nasal passages or bone cancer along the upper or lower jaw.
Bone loss and gum loss.

This information is vital in helping our Veterinarians determine where to proceed with your pet's dental care. Should the tooth be pulled? Can the tooth be saved? If there is a tumor, should a biopsy be performed? All of these are important questions and our Veterinarians will keep you informed on what the next recommended step may be.

Free Dental Exams

Free dental exams are available during our regular office hours. Please schedule a time to visit with one of our registered veterinary technicians. She will look at your pet's teeth and discuss the options and recommendations for you and your pet. If you would like an estimate for a dental cleaning and any other possible oral dental procedure(s), we would be happy to prepare one for you.

Prevention is the Key!

As easy as it is for your pet to get a periodontal infection, it is just as easy for you to prevent it.

Start an Oral Care Routine at Home

Tooth brushing is known to be the single most effective means of helping prevent the development of plaque on your pet's teeth. Daily brushing is the gold standard, even brushing your pet's teeth 4-5 times a week is beneficial, but once a week brushing has been shown to have no significant benefits. Here are some practical suggestions to help make this an easy transition to a healthy, happy mouth:

Start dental homecare when your pet is young and their teeth and gums are healthy. Younger animals are far easier to train to accept tooth brushing.
Make your pet as comfortable as possible and approach from the side, rather than the front.
Use toothpaste and toothbrush designed for pets, human toothpaste can cause stomach upset in your pet.
Make a slow transition from using your finger (or gauze) to the toothbrush. Start by using your finger (or gauze) with a small amount of water on it and glide it over the outer surfaces of the teeth, especially at the gum margins. After several days of just using water, when your pet has become accustomed to this new sensation, add a small amount of toothpaste to your finger (gauze) and repeat everyday until your animal is comfortable. Next try using the toothbrush (or finger brush) by starting with just a few teeth and gradually increase the number of teeth cleaned each time until the whole mouth can be cleaned in a single session. It is not necessary to open your pet's mouth, the object is to get as many teeth cleaned without stressing your pet.
Reward your pet after each cleaning session.
Make tooth-brushing part of your daily routine.
Small dogs and cats can sit on your lap while brushing, while at the same time cuddling them to reduce their apprehension.

Oral Chews: If brushing does not work for your pet, the next best option is Oral Care Chews. Oral Care Chews combine enzymes found naturally in your pets saliva with the abrading action that occurs when chewing to help remove food debris before it becomes a problem. Give one Oral Care Chew of appropriate size**, daily. We have many options available:

CET Hextra Chews
Oral Care Chews
Greenies
Dental Reward Chews

**Please use caution when you are giving your pet any chewable treat. To avoid the possibility of choking; give the appropriate size of chew according to the manufactures recommendation and observe your pet while they are enjoying their dental treat.

Oral Rinses: While not as effective as brushing or chewing for plaque prevention, oral rinses can be a useful part of an oral hygiene program and are best when used in addition to brushing or chewing. Oral rinses help aid in the prevention of tooth and gum disease by being palatable and a highly effective antimicrobial, anti-plaque and anti-calculus rinse. We have available:

Dentahex Oral Rinse
Maxi Guard Oral Cleansing Gel

Food: T/D is designed as a larger size kibble that increases mechanical scraping of the front and back of the tooth surface. It also contains all the nutritional requirements needed for your adult cat or dog, so it can be used as the main diet for overall health. Ask us for a free sample for your pet to try.

Porphyromonas Vaccine (for dogs only): This vaccine is another helpful preventative in the fight against gum disease in your dog. There are 100s of bacteria in your mouth, but there are 3 specific bacteria that help produce plaque (this is the stuff you feel on your teeth when you miss a brushing). This vaccine will help keep those 3 bacteria at a lower level, helping your pet maintain a healthier smile. As with all vaccines, we need to build your pet's immune system; therefore your dog will need a series of 2 injections (one now and then another in 2-3 weeks) and then just a yearly booster. If your pet already has a large amount of tartar built up on his/her teeth, a periodontal cleaning may be necessary first for the vaccine to be effective. This might be a great vaccine to start your puppy on as soon as he/she is 7 weeks old. As with all other preventative care, daily brushing along with the Porphyromonas Vaccine may decrease the incidence of yearly dentals.

Oravet: This is a tasteless gel that is applied to your pet's teeth once a week. This gel acts as a sealant by creating an invisible barrier that reduces plaque and tartar from attaching to your pets teeth. This product may be started when your pet is a young puppy or kitten, or it may be started after your pet has had a full dental cleaning. It is applied to the top teeth only, the movement of your pet's mouth and tongue will apply it to the rest of the teeth. Oravet is very sticky and if your pet eats shortly after it is applied small pieces of food will be stuck in the gel. This will not cause any problems, but it is rather unsightly, therefore it is recommended to apply the product in the evening before going to bed and after your pets evening meal.

A caution for those owners who wear glasses: The Oravet sticks to everything! If you apply the gel with your finger, be careful not to touch your glasses until you have washed your hands. Otherwise you may have a permanent finger print on your glasses!

Doxirobe Gel: This gel is used during dental cleaning procedures when we find that a tooth is healthy, the surrounding gum tissue is healthy, but that there is a large pocket of bacteria interfering between the tooth and gum line. During the dental cleaning we remove the bacterium that is lodged between the gum and the tooth, leaving a clean opening. This opening will quickly fill back up with bacteria and food debris if we do not apply the Doxirobe Gel immediately to the pocket. This gel contains doxycycline, an antibiotic that helps reduce periodontal pocket depth, increases reattachment of the gum to the tooth and reduces gingival inflammation.