Pet Dental Cleaning

Diverse studies have unveiled that various health complications start in the mouth of your pets. Thereby, is crucial to have teeth of your pet’s teeth cleaned professionally on a regular basis throughout their lifetime. Similar to humans, dogs and cats get infected teeth, cavities, and periodontal disease. Want to get your pet’s teeth thoroughly cleaned and evaluated? Schedule an appointment for a pet dental cleaning with our team of experts at Morgan Veterinary Practice today!

Diverse studies have unveiled that various health complications for pets start in their mouth. Similar to humans, dogs and cats get infected teeth, cavities, and periodontal disease. Therefore, it is crucial to have your pet’s teeth cleaned professionally on a regular basis throughout their lifetime. 

Want to get your pet’s teeth thoroughly cleaned and evaluated? Schedule an appointment for a pet dental cleaning with our team of experts at Morgan Veterinary Practice today!

During pet dental cleaning, our proficient vets will examine every single tooth to determine if any of them require further oral care. Our excellent oral cleaning services do not only make your pets feel better and happier but also healthier. 

We call our dog and cat dental cleanings Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT), because we do more than just cleaning; we perform a detailed examination of your pet’s oral health, carried out under a general anesthetic.

A large amount of dental disease in pets is below the gum line, which requires close examination and dental radiography, which can make COHATs complex, but necessary. Once a COHAT is performed, we can tell you accurately the dental treatment that is required and the costs involved.

General anesthetic: We take extra care with this first step at Morgan Veterinary Practice. All dogs and cats undergo pre-anesthetic evaluation and bloodwork to assess anesthetic feasibility.

Periodontal probing: Our vet will examine each tooth individually with a periodontal probe. We use the probe to look for pockets, which are caused by the gum losing its attachment to the tooth. Bacteria and tartar can accumulate in the pocket causing the wall of the tooth socket to erode. This leads to loosening of the tooth and eventually tooth loss. A small pocket may be cleaned and flushed, but a deep pocket usually requires the affected tooth to be treated or extracted.

 Intra-oral radiology (x-rays): Dog dental cleaning or cat dental cleaning is not complete without full mouth X-rays. Though in many cases, the visible crown of the tooth may appear normal, X-rays can reveal problems with the root below. Once all of the teeth have been X-rayed, our vet will review them and decide on what treatment is required for each tooth. Dog dental cleaning or cat dental cleaning without oral X rays does not provide true value to the pet and pet parent. At Morgan Veterinary Practice all dog dental cleanings and cat dental cleanings undergo full mouth X-rays.

Scaling: Scaling is the process where the tartar is removed from the teeth during a dog or cat dental cleaning. Tartar is produced by bacteria that live on the teeth. Tartar causes inflammation of the gums (gingivitis). This leads to recession of the gums, exposure of the tooth roots, and eventually loss of the tooth. Just like with humans, we remove tartar with a combination of an ultrasonic scaler and hand-scaling. Removal of tartar is vital for oral health and has the added bonus of helping tackle bad breath.

Charting: The combination of radiology and periodontal probing allows us to accurately diagnose any problems with the teeth and formulate a treatment plan. Proper charting is vital for dog dental cleanings or cat dental cleanings. Dental charts give you a clear picture of oral health before and after a pet dental cleaning.

Contacting: We always discuss the treatment plan and estimated costs with you. We need to be able to get hold of you during the procedure to discuss what we have found, what treatment is required, and what costs are associated with this treatment, especially if it is more than we estimated.

• If no extractions are required, the teeth will be polished and the mouth flushed with an antiseptic oral rinse.
• If dental disease is reversible or if the tooth can be saved, we will use appropriate periodontics or endodontics modalities to make the tooth healthy and last longer.
• If a tooth cannot be saved, we’ll extract it. Rest assured that we do this in a way that causes as little discomfort to your pet as possible. You can find out more about teeth extraction here.