DENTISTRY

Dental care and management have been historically overlooked. When your pet continues to eat, drink, and play with toys it can be surprising to discover that they may have a varying degree of dental disease. Studies show that over 80% of dogs (some papers report 90%) and 70% of cats have evidence of periodontitis (inflammation or infection of the tissue and bone surrounding the tooth) by two years of age. It is not uncommon to find broken and fractured teeth at annual exams. Sometimes these fractures expose the pulp canal, which has the blood vessels and nerve. This can cause significant pain, infection, or both. In addition to periodontitis and fractured teeth, cats are prone to a condition called Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs). FORLs are painful and can lead to infection. Interestingly, this affects all feline species, even lions and tigers. Greater than half of all cats older than three years old will have at least one tooth affected by resorption; it can affect dogs but occurs less frequently.

Dental health is evaluated at every annual exam. We will discuss the status of your pet's teeth and develop a treatment plan. We can also help you implement at home care for your pets which should include daily tooth brushing. While there are many products on the market claiming to help reduce plaque tartar and gingivitis with additives to the water, treats or chews, these have been shown to have little efficacy. And, while dental chews may help the larger teeth in the back of the mouth, they do little to help the non-chewing teeth, effectively missing 50-60% of the teeth.

At Pacific City Veterinary Care, we take our dental care and prophylaxis seriously!