A Pet Dentist in Memphis You Can Trust

At Central Animal Hospital, we care about your pet’s dental health! Our pet dentist provides advanced dental services.

Dental disease is one of the most common health problems in pets. Most pets have some degree of dental health problems by age 3. Bad breath is one of the most frequently noted signs of dental disease and usually correlates with periodontal disease. In the absence of a good home dental care program (and even with one in place), it is common for pets to need some degree of dental care at some point in their lives.

Home dental care can begin when your pet is quite young. From dental treats to tooth brushing, our pet dentist can review ways to implement home dental care with your puppy or kitten. There are a variety of dental care products available, however, Central Animal Hospital recommends those specifically given the VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) seal of approval.

During a regular health check, our pet dentist can review the dog or cat’s oral health and current home care plan, and if needed, recommend professional dental cleaning (prophylaxis). A thorough dental cleaning for your pet is a bit different than dental cleaning for people.

Our Pet Dentist Can Help

Pet dentistry, done properly, requires general anesthesia to allow the cleaning of all tooth surfaces, both above and below the gum line. The space between the gum attachment to each tooth and the gum line (gingival sulcus) is where problems originate leading to periodontal disease. Plaque is a biofilm of bacteria and sugars that accumulates on the teeth.

Over time, the bacteria eat away at the gum tissue and supportive tissues of the teeth (periodontal disease). Therefore, it is very important for the pet dentist to thoroughly remove plaque and calculus below the gum line, which can only be accomplished with general anesthesia.

Professional Dental Cleaning Steps

The entire process of a pet dental cleaning can take several hours to complete, depending on the severity of your pet’s dental disease. Pre-operative lab work is ideally done prior to your pet’s dental appointment, to ensure that there are no unknown anesthetic risks. Sedation is then administered, followed by placement of an intravenous catheter, and administration of general anesthesia.

Dental radiographs are taken to assess all roots, and the teeth are cleaned and charted. Finally, any dental treatments needed are then performed with your consent, including extractions, removal of gingival masses, and periodontal treatment.

Dental care is an important part of keeping your pet healthy. Should you have any questions, feel free to ask our experienced pet dentist!