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Pet Dental Care

Your cat’s or dog’s teeth are an important part of their everyday life. If their teeth and gums are painful or damaged, it can take a significant toll on their quality of life. In time, it can even affect their overall health. Learn what steps our veterinarians take to ensure the healthiest of pearly whites for your pet.

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Northfield Veterinary Hospital

Unfortunately, dental disease is very common in dogs and cats, with most pets having some form of the disease by the time they are 3 years old. Yet, this disease and the problems that come with it are entirely preventable with routine cat and dog teeth cleaning!
Your pet doesn’t have to suffer from dental disease. With your help, we can work together to prevent it entirely! Here are some ways you can fight dental disease at home and improve your pet’s oral hygiene:
  • Brush your pet’s teeth. Brushing your cat’s or dog’s teeth is the single best way to reduce plaque and tartar build-up. It’s ideal to start your pet young so they grow up learning to accept a toothbrush. However, if your pet is older and unwilling, ask us for advice!
  • Add dental chews and treats to their diet. Dental chews and dental treats have special enzymes in them that help break down plaque and tartar with every bite. These are great to add your pet’s diet, especially if they don’t take kindly to teeth brushing! Yet, be careful not to feed your pet too many—they are treats, after all!
  • Add water additives to their water bowl – Water additives act in a similar wait to mouthwash for us. It helps to break down plaque and tartar with every drink.
  • Talk to your vet about a prescription dental diet. Some specially formulated diets are designed for dental health, but these require a prescription from a veterinarian to purchase. Talk to us if you think this is a good option for your pet!
  • Bring them to us for their annual exam, which includes a dental evaluation! Annual wellness visits are crucial for your pet’s entire health, including their dental hygiene! A dental evaluation is included in every exam, and if we see any signs of disease, we’ll recommend a professional teeth cleaning for your dog or cat.

Tartar under the gum line is the biggest contributor to dental disease as the bacteria in tartar inflames the gums, breaking down tissue, and over time, it can even damage the tooth bone and roots. Our professional cat and dog teeth cleaning services are able to remove tartar both above and below the gum line, which stops the progression of disease. Routine professional cleanings are the perfect complement to your at-home dental care regimen, and can keep your pet’s mouth healthy for years to come.

Our teeth cleaning at Northfield Veterinary Hospital services involve:

  • General anesthesia for your pet’s comfort and safety
  • All the safety protocols we use for surgery to ensure their well-being
  • Digital dental X-rays to evaluate the health of roots and bone below the gum line
  • Ultrasonic and hand scaling to remove all plaque and tartar from teeth
  • Polishing of each tooth, which smooths the enamel and reduces future tartar build up
  • Tooth extractions of teeth damaged beyond repair