Dental health is an important factor when it comes to your pets overall health. Maintaining a healthy mouth can take time, but is so rewarding. 

Did you know?
- That 85% of pets have periodontal disease by age 3. 
- Dogs (adults) have 42 teeth 
- Cats (adults) have 30 teeth

There are ways to help prevent dental disease:

Gold Standard: Brushing!
Brushing is THE best thing to do to help maintain a healthy mouth for your pet. It has two big reasons, 1) it physically removes plaque from the teeth, preventing the formation of tartar. The bristles on the brush also clean under the gum line where you might not see build up. 2) Brushing forces you to look in your pets mouth on a regular basis, ultimately allowing you see issues before they become major concerns. Ideally it is recommended to brush your pets teeth daily. We would love to show you how to brush and the steps to take leading up to using a toothbrush. Please just give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of our technicians. 

Oral Toothpastes and Gels
It is very important that you use pet toothpaste or oral products and not use your own. The reason for this is the fluoride content. We are told to spit our toothpaste out after brushing, and our pets can’t really do that. Pet toothpastes also come in flavours that they would actually like (beef, chicken, tuna to name a few). The best function of a pet toothpaste is that it acts like an instant reward for cooperating (it will take time to get to this point). Definitely stop by the clinic and one of the staff members would be more than happy to discuss the options. 

Treats
There are so many different treats and chews that are on the market now. The chewing action can help with plaque build up, but should never fully replace a toothbrush. An ingredient that can be helpful in a treat is hexametaphosphate which helps to prevent plaque turning into tartar (making it easier to brush your pet’s teeth clean). This is still a better option than nothing at all. 

As much as we want to prevent the inevitable, dental cleanings should be considered part of your pets overall health. Just think of ourselves, we are told to brush our teeth twice and day and to visit our dentist once to twice a year. Although dentals aren’t typically needed this often in our pets, it should still be expected to have a couple done through the course of your pet’s life. If they are done early enough, dentals can help prevent the need of extractions. 

Our biggest recommendation is just to keep an open dialogue with your veterinarian when it comes to your pet’s oral health. Regular check-ups also allow the best treatment plan to be created.