Why is Dental so Important for Your Pets Well Being? 

The dentist, so many people cringe, but good oral hygiene and health is a vital part of your pet’s health. 
At Home Dental Care 
I think of your pets’ teeth like my teeth, nothing replaces a good teeth brushing. Ideally one would use the rigidity of the tooth brush to disrupt the sticky bacterial plaque starting the habit when the animal is young. However, one does need to be careful as animals can bite. Other alternatives to manual brushing are dental chews or water additives such as recommended by www.vohc.org, but pets do not chew on every tooth so professional cleaning will still be recommended.
Anesthetic Dentals Cleaning 
If your pet has stinky breath, your pet likely needs an anesthetic dental cleaning; the smell is from bacteria building up at the gum line which eats away at the tooth, gum and bone. Even in humans if they have a lot of plaque formation, dentists have to numb the gums to clean underneath the gums where the disease lies. Anesthesia makes it easier on your pet to perform the dental cleaning, less stress and pain for your pet. Choosing a facility that uses high quality induction anesthetics similar to human medicine lowers the risk for anesthetic complications. Significant gum disease (periodontitis) is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease because there is an increase the risk of a bacterial infection from the mouth traveling into the bloodstream, which can affect the heart valves. 
Dental X-rays 
Just like us humans, radiographs (x-rays) are needed to evaluate the health of the jaw and the tooth roots below the gumline. Because most dental disease occurs below the gumline where you can not see it, the dental radiographs help us visualize things like tooth root abscesses which can cause your pet discomfort. If your pet needs dental extractions, it is imperative to choose a facility that takes dental radiographs to ensure the entire diseased tooth is removed.  
For more information about No Place Like Home email dramelia@noplacelikehome.vet or text or call 818-400-1986.