Dental Care at Deer Grove Veterinary Clinics
The Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinic is serious about your pet’s dental health. How serious? We closed our clinic for an entire day so our staff could undergo specialized dental training from a Board Certified Veterinary Dental Specialist. But we did not stop there. All four of the doctors at Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinic also attended a training seminar where a Board Certified Veterinary Dental Specialist worked one on one to show them the latest and best techniques for oral surgery including extractions.
Why all the bother? Because we believe Veterinary Dentistry is the wave of the future and our patients deserve the best care possible. In addition to the education our staff received, we have re-vamped our dentistry equipment and purchased a digital dental x-ray machine, a new ultrasonic scaler and polisher, new oral surgery instruments, and a new monitoring machine that measures all your pet’s vital signs when they are under anesthesia. This cutting edge equipment allows the staff at Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinics to put all our education to use and perform the safest and best dental techniques.
Don’t think your pet needs dental care? Ask yourself this question, what would your teeth look like if you never brushed? What would your mouth smell like if you never brushed? Your pet’s breath should not smell bad. If it does, your pet probably needs dental care. Take a look inside your pet’s mouth. Unless every tooth is pearly white, your pet probably needs a dental exam. Once the yellow/brown tarter reaches the gum line it begins to destroy the roots of the tooth and cause periodontal disease. Once that process has begun, there is no turning back the clock.
But Doc, my pet is still eating so his teeth must be fine. Really? Ever have a toothache? Did you stop eating for the entire time your tooth hurt? Maybe you avoided eating until the ibuprofen kicked in or you got in to see your dentist. But what if you did not have access to pain meds? Eventually, your hunger would get the best of you and you would eat regardless of how much pain you were in. Even though we have made our pets into little couch potatoes, they are still wild at their cores. It is a natural instinctive for a wild animal to continue to eat and not show pain because if you show pain you go to the bottom of the pack or you are eaten by something that is stronger.
It is important to remember that not all dental exams are created equal. When scheduling dental procedures for your pet, make sure dental x-rays will be taken. A significant amount of disease happens below the gum line and without dental x-rays problems can be missed. It is also extremely important to take post extraction x-rays to determine if any of the roots were behind. If extractions are needed, ask if local anesthetics are used to provide additional pain relief, as well as pain meds before, during and after oral surgery. Also, ask about how the anesthesia is monitored and who is doing the monitoring. Your pet’s safety is so important to us at Deer-Clinic Veterinary Clinics that we have a certified veterinary technician devoted solely to monitoring your pet the entire time it is under anesthesia. This makes dental procedures as safe as possible and helps the pets have less post dental side effects. Don’t assume that all dental care is the same at every clinic…do your homework and ask questions to insure you are getting the latest and safest dental care for your best friend.
Your pet’s smile is our top priority! If you are concerned about your pet’s teeth please make an appointment at Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinic today. We would love to teach you about daily brushing so you can delay dental cleanings in the future by keeping the tarter off your pet’s teeth. It is our goal to keep our furry friends and our clients smiling for years to come!