Oral Health
Proper dental care is an essential part of your pet’s overall health and well-being. At Pinellas Animal Hospital, our team is fully equipped with the knowledge and tools to provide everything from routine cleanings and tooth extractions to treatment for fractured teeth, tooth root abscesses, and gum disease. Maintaining good oral hygiene isn’t just about keeping your pet’s breath fresh, it also helps protect vital organs like the heart, liver, and kidneys. We recommend brushing your pet’s teeth and using dental chews or oral gels between visits, along with scheduling regular professional cleanings as part of your pet’s preventive care.
We understand that dental cleanings can be expensive, and we know that some of you may have seen offers from groomers or other providers that offer a non-anesthetic cleaning for “less cost and less risk.” Unfortunately, neither of these claims are true. Restraining an animal to allow someone to clean the visible surfaces of their teeth without sedation is very stressful for pets, as they do not understand what is happening to them!
All a non-anesthetic dental cleaning entails is scraping plaque off of the surface of the teeth and does not address the accumulation of tartar underneath the gumline. A professional dental cleaning is so much more – the dental technician is cleaning, evaluating, and sending your pet home with a healthy mouth, free from bacteria that can cause painful dental disease. A professional dental cleaning done by your veterinarian is the safest and most effective way to completely evaluate your pet’s dental health, treat any problems, and send them home healthy and happy.
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Have you ever really looked at your pet’s mouth? It can be surprising how much tartar can build up without you even noticing! The back teeth tend to gather more tartar than the front teeth. Pull up the lip of your pet and look at their back teeth, you may be surprised at the amount of tartar buildup!
