Dental Health Archives - Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic

February Is Dental Month!

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Michelle Wright

February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

Did you know that by the age of 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs will have some form of dental disease? Maintaining dental hygiene is a big step in keeping your pets happy and healthy. Dental disease can lead to many other health problems. Animals with dental disease are at an increased risk for heart, liver, and kidney disease.

We’re celebrating dental month by offering our clients a 15% discount on our dental packages! Additionally, our Gold Wellness Plans contain a dental package already containing a 15% discount, with the added benefit of monthly payments and a 10% discount on additional necessities, such as dental extractions!

At Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic, we see our fair share of pets with dental disease. We offer dental prophylaxis (dental cleaning) where we fully anesthetize the animal and give their teeth a thorough examination and cleaning. While the patient is anesthetized, we are able to better assess any trouble teeth and perform dental radiographs to see the extent of the dental disease. We are then able to clean the teeth and extract any teeth that are beyond saving.

We will then polish all of the remaining teeth and apply a gel coating that will keep them clean for 2 weeks. The rest is up to you! With dental disease, prevention is key! We are all about client education when it comes to keeping your pet’s teeth disease free. There are many options out there to maintain dental health: daily dental treats, dental wipes, gel, and plain old tooth brushing. Want to learn more? Check out our videos below!

*A note on Non-Anesthetic Dentals (NAD): While NAD is promoted by some, NAD cannot appropriately clean teeth or address problem teeth. These are not recommended for your pet. Please read our article, “The Dangers of Non-Anesthetic Dentistry in Your Pet”, for further information.

Interested in scheduling a dental exam or cleaning for your pet? Give us a call today at 805-773-0474!

The Dangers of Non-Anesthetic Dentistry in Your Pet

Posted on February 10, 2020July 20, 2020 by Odessa Boettger

Non-anesthetic dentistry (NAD) can sound wonderful when compared to a dental cleaning under anesthesia. It boasts clean teeth without the use of anesthesia and often comes with a smaller price tag. However, we here at Pismo Beach Vet, along with the American Veterinary Dental College, have found that NAD has no benefit to your pet and can even be harmful to their health.

Dental disease, or periodontal disease, occurs when plaque (loose bacteria) builds and turns into tartar (hardened bacteria). As the tartar continues to build, the bacteria within it spread under the gums or inside the tooth and eventually begin to destroy the jaw bone surrounding the teeth. During NAD, only the tartar on the outside of your pet’s teeth can be removed, but most everything underneath the gumline is left behind. Additionally, once that tartar has been removed with scaling or scraping, a detailed polishing is most often impossible in a wiggly pet. The small grooves left behind by this process are nice homes for new bacteria. Dental x-rays can also not be taken in an awake pet, which often misses infection below the bone and gums. Therefore, your pet is left with sparkly-looking teeth that have hidden dangers lurking beneath. Many patients who have received NADs still end up losing many of their teeth, and can even have broken jaws. NAD can also be very scary for pets and often requires them to be held down.

“So what happens when my pet is put under anesthesia for a dental cleaning?” Once we have found that your pet can safely undergo anesthesia, your pet’s dental health journey can begin. With the help of anesthesia, this will be a fearless process. Once asleep, a thorough examination and probing of the teeth, just like at your dentist, is performed (including checking for any tumors that could be hidden in the mouth or throat). Dental x-rays are then taken, based on your pet’s needs, to find any issues not seen on the outside and to evaluate the extent of disease. If your pet has infected teeth that require removal (extraction), this can be done safely and painlessly under anesthesia. Once any extractions are performed, your pet’s teeth will then be thoroughly scaled, polished and have fluoride and anti-plaque gels applied. Your pet will then wake up with a healthy mouth that is beautiful on the outside and the inside.

During “Dental Month”, the month of February, remember that your pet’s dental health is important and the best care comes with a full anesthetic dental exam.

Dental Month at PBVC

Posted on January 28, 2019May 1, 2019 by Odessa Boettger

February is National Pet Dental Health Month! Did you know that by the age of 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs will have some form of dental disease? Maintaining dental hygiene is a big step in keeping your pets happy and healthy. Dental disease can lead to many other health problems. Animals with dental disease are at an increased risk for heart, liver, and kidney disease. We’re celebrating dental month by offering our clients a 15% discount on our dental packages!

At Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic, we see our fair share of pets with dental disease. We offer dental prophylaxis (dental cleaning) where we fully sedate the animal and give their teeth a thorough clean and examination. While the patient is anesthetized, we are able to better assess any trouble teeth and perform dental radiographs to see the extent of the dental disease. We are then able to clean the teeth and extract any teeth that are beyond saving.

Interested in scheduling a dental exam or cleaning for your pet? Give us a call!

How To Brush!
HAPPY NATIONAL PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH! For the entire month of February we will be posting about dental care, how to prevent dental disease, what to expect at a dental procedure/consult, and we will even be giving our clients the chance to win some dental goodies!One common question we hear a lot is HOW to brush your pets teeth. It can seem a little bit intimidating at first but is super easy for both you and your pet with a little bit of practice. Brushing can help slow dental disease meaning less frequent dental procedures at the clinic.
Posted by Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic on Thursday, February 1, 2018

February is Dental Month at Pismo Beach Vet!

Posted on January 31, 2018May 1, 2019 by pismobeachvet

February is National Pet Dental Month, and because we want your loved ones to start the new year with fresh breath, February will be also Dental Month at Pismo Beach Vet.

At Pismo Beach Vet, we strongly believe that preventative dental care is the best way to ensure that your pet has a healthy smile for life. It has been shown that 85% of dogs and cats have periodontal disease by the age of three. Good oral hygiene, starting with regular dental cleanings, can improve comfort as well as overall physical health. Untreated dental disease can lead to major problems affecting the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver.

For the month of February all dental packages will be discounted 15%. These packages include not only the dental cleaning and anesthesia, but also pre-anesthetic blood screening, IV catheterization and fluids to help make these procedures as safe as possible for your pet. Mention this email and also receive a discount on dental products including tooth brush kits.

Call us today for more information or login to your Pet Portal to make an appointment!

Dental Month at Pismo Beach Vet!

Posted on January 28, 2016 by pismobeachvet

February is National Pet Dental Month, and because we want your loved ones to start the new year with fresh breath, February will be also Dental Month at Pismo Beach Vet.

Call us today for more information or login to your Pet Portal to make an appointment!

Dental Months at Pismo Beach Vet

Posted on December 31, 2014 by pismobeachvet

February is National Pet Dental Month, and because we want your loved ones to start the new year with fresh breath, January and February will be Dental Months at Pismo Beach Vet.

For the months of January and February all dental packages will be discounted 15%. These packages include not only the dental cleaning and anesthesia, but also pre-anesthetic blood screening, IV catheterization and fluids to help make these procedures as safe as possible for your pet. Mention this email and also receive a discount on dental products including tooth brush kits.

Call us today for more information or login to your Pet Portal to make an appointment!

The Repercussions of Dental Disease

Posted on May 25, 2014 by pismobeachvet

We rarely see such a dramatic case that highlights the importance of preventive dental care. This little toy breed dog came in a few months ago with some of the worst dental decay we have ever seen. Due to the delicate nature of the jaw bone in small dogs, it doesn’t take much bone loss from dental disease to lead to jaw fracture. The fine white lines (black and green arrows) on these pictures are all that is left of this guy’s jaw, less than a millimeter in some places. The red arrow is where the jaw broke. Unfortunately this did not have a happy ending and what makes it especially sad is that it could have been prevented.

Jaw Fracture — Broken jaw and bone loss on the mandible.

Bone Loss — Canines and incisors. Note the complete absence of bone around the incisor teeth.

Dental Months at Pismo Beach Vet

Posted on December 26, 2013 by pismobeachvet

February is National Pet Dental Month, and because we want your loved ones to start the new year with fresh breath, January and February will be Dental Months at Pismo Beach Vet.

Call us today for more information or login to your Pet Portal to make an appointment!

Dental Discounts YEAR ROUND!

Posted on July 10, 2013 by pismobeachvet

At Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic, we believe that healthy teeth and gums are important. That’s why we’ve decided to offer additional savings on our already discounted dental packages YEAR ROUND! If during your pet’s exam a dental cleaning is recommended, you can get 15% off the discounted dental package if scheduled within 24 hours of your visit. Dental disease and gingivitis can not only lead to pain, infection, and tooth loss, but can also send bacteria and toxins to travel throughout your pet’s body and harm vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, and heart. By practicing good dental hygiene at home and seeking routine professional dental care, you can help your pet live a longer, happier, healthier life.

Call Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic today at (805) 773-0474 to schedule an appointment. Go to the Dental Health and Your Pet section of our website to learn more: /2013/03/18/dental-health-and-your-pet/

Professional dental cleaning before and after.

Dental Health Topic: Broken teeth

Posted on March 19, 2013 by pismobeachvet

Broken teeth are common problems we see in both our dog and cat patients. Since any degree of tooth loss can be problematic (even a small chip compromises the protective enamel coating on the tooth), we recommend an oral examination to evaluate all broken teeth. If the fracture is severe enough, a root canal treatment or tooth extraction will be recommended. By leaving the broken tooth untreated, it is causing your pet pain (even if he is stoic and doesn’t seem painful) and can lead to a severe infection.

Although you may have heard that chewing on bones can help clean your pet’s teeth, we do not recommend any type of bones for your pet (whether cooked, raw, beef, or bird). This is because the big hard bones can easily break teeth – and it’s usually the large, shearing molars in the back of the mouth – and smaller, brittle bones can get stuck or cause severe irritation when swallowed.

Here are some examples of what broken teeth look like.