We get a lot of questions on dental health and the difference between dental cleanings for people and pets as well as how the dental cleaning is different from just brushing their teeth, so that is what we will be covering today.
Brushing your pet’s teeth is actually recommended to do twice daily, just like in humans. We understand that this is difficult and in most cases virtually impossible to accomplish, but if you would like assistance in learning how to brush them you are welcome to come to see us.
Brushing their teeth is just like people brushing their teeth- the mechanical action of brushing with enzymatic toothpaste to get off most of the tartar and bacteria that was acquired after eating or drinking in a day. And, just like with humans, this is not usually enough to keep the tartar completely controlled, which is why they suggest dental cleanings for people every 6 months.
Brushing the teeth doesn’t allow for cleaning below the gum line, where dental disease effects, it only cleans the crown of the tooth. In addition to being a challenge in the first place to brush your pet’s teeth, they usually only let you brush the front, imagine how difficult it would be to try and brush the tops and backs!
Now, dental cleanings are a more involved cleaning, meaning the sides of the teeth and under the gum line are able to be cleaned. In order to thoroughly clean properly, it requires the animal to be under anesthesia. While your pet is asleep they cannot try and close their mouths or get away while the teeth are being cleaned, which allows for a more thorough and less stressful cleaning.
The teeth will be scaled by what is called an ultrasonic scaler, which is also used in human dentistry. This is much faster to get any residue or tartar off the teeth than scaling by hand.
After the teeth are scaled they will be polished to smooth any indentions made while scaling. Polishing is a big difference between scraping off the teeth while they are awake and when they are asleep, because if the teeth cannot be polished afterwards then those indentations are a place for bacteria and tartar accumulate faster than if the surface of the tooth were smooth.
Even if you could hand scale your pets teeth, most would not let you polish the teeth well, if at all.
Having your pet sedated also gives your veterinarian a better scope of tooth and gum health because they are able to see pockets forming in the gums, teeth in the very back, what is happening under thick tartar and resorptive lesions on the teeth.
Dental health can affect the rest of the body systems and organs including the bones of the jaw, heart, kidneys and lungs so it is important to get your pets teeth cleaned regularly. The teeth are check with the annual exam every year, which makes those yearly visits even more important.
Our goal is to keep as many of your pets teeth for as long as we can and keep them healthy, hopefully all their lives!