How Often Do Pets Need Professional Dental Cleanings?

Growing up, you probably remember your parents or caregivers nagging you to brush your teeth every day and visit the dentist regularly. While it’s easy to underestimate good oral hygiene as a child, these habits help you retain healthy teeth in adulthood.


Many people don’t realize that our pets need to have healthy teeth and gums too. They are just as likely to experience problems like toothache, dental damage, and gum disease. However, since dental care isn’t something they can perform on themselves, our animals rely on us to get the oral hygiene support they need. This starts with regularly brushing their teeth at home, using a specialist veterinary toothpaste (since human varieties are toxic to animals) – ideally at least twice per week. However, the best way to maximize your pet’s oral health is to combine at-home dental care with professional dental cleanings.

What are professional pet dental cleanings and why are they important?

Professional dental cleanings for pets are teeth cleanings that are carried out by a qualified, trained, and experienced vet or veterinary assistant. Many owners, even those who’ve had pets for years, often overlook the importance of professional cleaning.


There are two main differences between teeth cleanings performed at home and a veterinary office. The first is tools and equipment. When you brush your pet’s teeth at home, you are almost certainly only armed with a toothbrush and some veterinary toothpaste. And these are perfectly fine for removing newish plaque that has formed on their teeth and gums. However, it’s impossible to remove stubborn plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) without professional equipment.


The second difference is access, limited access makes it impossible to perform a thorough clean. Professional dental cleanings are usually performed under general anesthetic, meaning that your veterinary team will have complete access to your pet’s teeth and mouth.


Professional dental cleanings can:
 

• Prevent your pet from suffering from periodontal disease
   

• Preserve your pet’s teeth
   

• Stop bad breath
   

• Prevent dental pain
   

• Keep dental infections away
   

• Maximize your pet’s overall health and well-being (advanced periodontal disease is linked to other general health issues such as heart disease and some cancers)

Dental cleaning combined with extractions

If an animal has been found to have moderate to severe periodontal disease, your veterinary dentist may recommend that they have one or more teeth removed. This usually happens because the periodontal disease has caused considerable damage to the gum tissue and other structures supporting specific teeth, preventing them from keeping the teeth securely in place. At this point, extraction is the best option as it will enable the area to be cleaned and prevent bacteria from spreading to nearby healthy teeth and exacerbating the problem.



For more information about professional pet dental cleanings, or to schedule an appointment, please speak to our friendly veterinary team at Shore Pet Surgery in Grasonville and Laurel, Maryland at 410-827-6464 or 301-483-7080.