Pet Dental

Why You Should Choose Us for Your Loved Pet’s Dental Care

Just like people, pets can experience dental disorders that, if not addressed, can cause discomfort, suffering, and even more severe health problems. At Lawrence Veterinary Hospital, we recognize your special relationship with your pet and how important their health is to you. Why our dental treatments are exceptional is as follows:

Professional Dental Team
Our committed group of doctors and licensed technicians is highly skilled in veterinary dentistry. We use advanced tools to ensure your pet gets the best treatment possible. You may put your pet’s oral health in our expert hands because of the many years of experience we have.

Complete Dental Services
We provide a full range of dental procedures catering to your pet’s unique requirements, from standard dental examinations to sophisticated dental surgery. We have you covered, whether it’s a straightforward cleaning or a challenging tooth problem.

Advantages for Your Pet’s Health
A healthy pet also has a healthy mouth. Regular dental treatment is essential for your pet’s overall health and prevents bad breath and toothaches. Dental problems can result in infections that harm the kidneys, heart, and other vital organs. You may give your pet a longer, happier life by giving attention to their oral health.

A preventative strategy
Our dental treatments stress prevention above merely addressing already-existing issues. Regular inspections and cleanings enable us to identify problems early on and take appropriate action. This preventative strategy can spare you and your dog or cat from future suffering and costs.

Pet Dental Care, Prevention and Treatment

Proper dental care is essential for your pet’s well-being. Pets need regular oral care to maintain overall health and continue to enjoy chewing on a bone, eating food, grooming, picking up a ball, or capturing a catnip mouse. Pets are also far more stoic about discomfort in their mouth than you might imagine, and symptoms as minor as bad breath, or dropping crumbs while eating, can be an indication of significant periodontal disease. Waiting until your pet’s dental problems become unpleasant is not a good idea. Make an appointment for a dental examination with Lawrence Veterinary Hospital right away to get started on the path to a happier, healthier smile for your cherished pet.

Some pets show little to no outward signs of pain in their mouths, even with fractured and loose teeth, and will very rarely stop eating due to tooth pain. Earlier signs of oral pain include bad breath, avoiding chewing on one side of their mouth, face-rubbing, dropping food, and blood on toys after play. More serious symptoms may include visibly loose or broken teeth, swelling of the muzzle below the eye or under the chin, poor food intake in spite of food interest and no interest in chew toys or treats. Any of these signs means it is time to schedule an appointment for a thorough physical exam that will include checking your pet’s mouth and teeth. Whether your furry family member needs their annual dental wellness care and oral evaluation, or if they need oral surgery (tooth extractions), we’ve got you covered.

Before a full Oral ATP is needed (see below) or after your pet’s teeth are all shiny and clean, our pet health professionals will put together an oral prevention plan that you can be successful with at home, utilizing tools such as diet, snacks, tooth brushing and its alternatives to keep your cat or dog’s teeth healthier for longer. We will also be able to tell you when they will need their full oral assessment, treatment and prevention as an outpatient here at the Lawrence Veterinary Hospital. Just like people, no matter how good we are at oral care at home we will still have to go to the dentist!

A Complete Oral Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention (Oral ATP) visit has many separate steps:

1. General exam before anesthesia, pre-operative organ testing via blood work
2. Oral exam under anesthesia
3. Gross calculus removal
4. Subgingival (below the gumline) scaling, root planing, curettage where indicated
5. Tooth polishing
6. Irrigation
7. Post cleaning exam and dental x-rays to evaluate the areas below the gum line
8. Dental charting to create a treatment plan
9. Therapy if necessary
10. Home care instructions
11. No-fee follow up appointment to see how the mouth has healed and confirm success of home oral health care

What Is The VOHC?

The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) is a non-profit organization composed of board-certified veterinary dentists that reviews studies and accepts dental products that have been shown to reduce the accumulation of plaque and/or tartar. They list their approved products, and the products have a VOHC seal of approval on the packaging.

Toothbrushing and Dental Prophylaxis in Cats and Dogs
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Bad Breath in Dogs and Cats
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