Passion in Dental Care

Pet dental health is a passion of mine. I was fortunate to study under one of the east coast’s prominent board-certified veterinary dentists and ever since have been amazed by the many and varied repercussions of good dental health. Bad breath, swelling of the cheeks, tooth grinding or broken teeth are obvious signs of disease. More frequently the signs are so subtle you would never notice them. Sometimes these changes are overlooked so our weapon in that fight is your pets annual exam, during which we are looking for signs of disease.
Once blood-work and heart health have been cleared we schedule the dental. When the pet is under anesthesia a complete set of dental x-rays are taken. This is one of the most important parts of the dental procedure. It is impossible to evaluate the roots of the teeth without x-rays and the roots are important since they are the attachment points of the tooth to the skull. If all the teeth are healthy, we rejoice, clean well under the gum line, polish, apply fluoride and wake the pet up. If teeth need to be removed for the pet’s overall health, extractions begin. A local anesthetic is given, just as a human dentist would do. Single rooted teeth are wiggled out using special tools. Multiple rooted teeth are divided into sections using a drill first. The remaining hole is closed with absorbable suture, allowing the gum to completely heal together and providing the pet with a pain free mouth.
After the dental, we always discuss preventives so we can minimize dental care in the hospital and keep it at home where it will be more economical and beneficial for your dog or cat. Come and investigate high quality dental care at Copper Hill Animal Clinic, for lasting value and health for your pet. Please call us at Copper Hill Animal Clinic (661) 296-8848 to schedule an appointment.