Dentistry - Dental Care Services at GRAH Kingston
You’ve shed the January blues, the weather getting ever so slightly warmer, and guess what? It’s also National Pet Dental Health. Why should you pay attention? It’s simple really: because if your pet’s breath smells bad, they could have dental disease.
At Grah Kingston we are providing quality Cat & Dog Dental Care Services. We are known as one of the
best dog dental vet clinics in Kingston.
We know the importance of our dental health. We wouldn’t
dream of setting off for work in the morning without first cleaning our teeth
and rightly so. For our pets, the same rules ought to apply; it’s important to
look after our pets’ teeth, ensuring good health and freedom from disease and
decay.
Dental disease begins with a small amount of plaque (formed
of salivary deposits, bacteria, and food particles) forming on the tooth’s
surface. If ignored, this can build up to form dental tartar (calculus), which
in turn can cause marked gum disease and inflammation, leading to an array of
pleasant conditions including gum recession, tooth root exposure, and decay of
the periodontal ligament. Once severe dental disease manifests itself, your pet
will require a scale and polish, but this will be the least of your worries as
multiple tooth extractions can often be necessary.
Dental disease causes localized pain in the oral cavity and
can affect the rest of your pet’s body too. The inflamed, damaged gums absorb
the bacteria-ridden tartar and from there, it accesses the bloodstream and
spreads throughout the body, affecting the heart and kidneys in particular.
This can seriously impact your pet’s health overall, especially if they’re
elderly, already unwell, or fragile in any other way.
If your pet has dental disease, the first symptom will more
than likely be bad breath (halitosis). They could appear uncomfortable when
they eat – often chewing with one side of their mouth or regularly dropping
food.
Signs of Dental Problems:
Bad breath (halitosis)
Loss of appetite
Bleeding gums
Inflamed gums
Drooling
Pawing at the mouth (or any other sign of the mouth being
sensitive)
Preventing Dental Problems
As with most pet ailments, prevention is far better than
cure. There are numerous ways to prevent dental disease:
Dental diets
– Several pet food companies now offer dental diets, designed to contest
dental disease. Dental kibbles of a particular shape, size, and texture have a
mild rough effect and are formulated to clean your pet’s teeth as they chew. Dental
chews/treats – They work in much the same way as diets. Be wary, however, as
some of them contain a high quantity of fat.
Dental hygiene
– Tooth brushing is the gold standard of dental care for pets and, as with
humans, it should be done every day. Use an appropriate animal toothbrush and
paste. Restrain your pet firmly but kindly, go from back to front in a gentle,
circular motion. If they don’t like the toothbrush, let them get used to the
process – and having their teeth touched – by putting a dab of toothpaste on
your finger and cleaning that way.
Pet owners are welcome to visit our Animal
hospital in Kingston. We have Pet Dentists with years of experience who
have done their jobs in Cat Dentistry and Dog Dentistry incredibly.
