Importance of Pet Dental Cleanings
Taking your pet to a veterinary hospital for professional treatment of oral care is a very important step in ensuring a long and healthy life for your pet. The importance of good and regular pet dental care cannot be overemphasized.
Pet dental services focus on treatments that specifically address the needs of a dog or cat related to oral hygiene and health. Dental problems may cause drooling, bad breath, discolored teeth, pain and bleeding. This may result in tooth loss as well as internal medical problems such as kidney and heart disease over time.
Our dental services at Babcock Hills Veterinary Hospital focus on preventing dental disease and ensuring that your pet has healthy teeth and gums. We provide oral exams, dental cleanings and appropriate treatments for your pet’s dental health concerns that arise over time.
Dental Cleanings include:
- Dental radiographs
- Removing tartar
- Polishing teeth
- Addressing pocketing around teeth to salvage teeth from needing future extraction
- Extraction of hopelessly diseased teeth
Maintaining a Pet’s Health
Your pet’s health starts with his or her dietary habits, exercise and regular visits to a veterinarian. At Babcock Hills Veterinary Hospital, we recognize that your pet can face a variety of oral hygiene concerns, even if you offer treats and kibble that specifically help maintain healthy teeth.
By ensuring that your pet has regular cleanings and check-ups, you prevent periodontal disease and complicated health concerns from developing and you ensure that your pet’s teeth remain healthy. Our doctors examine the oral cavity at every exam to look for any problems that an owner may not be aware. The sooner a problem is addressed, the less likely it is to turn into a painful event for the pet or more expense to an owner.
Before and After pictures of one of our patients:
Digital Dental X-rays
Radiography is available if needed based on the oral exam. Our state-of-the-art digital dental x-ray equipment helps us determine when a pet needs more extensive treatment to a tooth, based on what is happening below the gum line. 60% of the disease may be hidden below the gum line. Our VetPro® digital x-ray system is significantly more accurate than film-based systems. Our state-of-the-art software allows us to view images immediately.
It is important to take care of your pet’s teeth between professional cleanings. Most pets need to have their teeth cleaned every year, just as most people do. Our goal is to help owners do a good job in-between cleanings with a variety of options:
- Dental diets
- Dental chews
- Pet toothbrushes and toothpastes
- Dental powders to reduce hard tartar build up
Watch this video for tips on how to brush your pets teeth at home!
Our Dental Products
Babcock Hills Veterinary Hospital, your San Antonio veterinary hospital located at 6600 Prue Road.