What is involved in a dog dental exam?

Your dog’s dental health is also important to take good care of because they can also develop various dental diseases. Dental diseases are caused by the migration of plaque from the teeth to the soft tissues of the gums, which then causes irritation and eventually, if not treated, infection. You can maintain your dog’s good oral health by bringing your dog to have dental exams so that you can detect early signs of dental diseases or avoid them before a disease even develops. It is easier to prevent dental diseases because if it progresses further, the bacteria that caused the infection can enter your dog’s bloodstream, affecting all the major body systems and organs.

Aside from dental exams and checkups, a good way to take care of your dog’s health is to make sure the food they eat is healthy. Some foods benefit specific health aspects of your dog. For example, giving salmon oil for dogs. Salmon oil is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that can help maintain a healthy immune system.

Do further research on your dog’s diet so that you can keep your dog healthy!

Why does my dog need a dental exam?

With that said, what does happen when you take your dog to a dental exam? Actually, it’s not all that different from human dental check-ups. Although first, you have to check if the vet clinic you go to has a pet dentist because veterinarians have their own specialties. Some perform procedures that others don’t and vice versa. So give your pet clinic a call before coming in to visit.

Here are what they check at a dog dental exam:

• Dental diseases
• Dental pain
• Broken or chipped teeth
• Bite misalignment
• Infections
• Cysts
• Tumors

Suppose you observe that some of these are being present or being experienced by your dog. Book a dental exam as soon as possible. Here are some things that you may expect after your dog’s dental exam: Your dentist will discuss with you the best course of action to resolve the problem. Your dog will either get treatment, or the pet dentist may need to examine further or investigate your dog’s dental problem. Sometimes dental x-rays need to be done.

Dental cleaning

Those dogs that will need general cleaning will be performed under the effects of a general anesthetic or GA. The GA is administered before the cleaning. This allows the pet dentist to perform the procedure with the pet being perfectly still and calm. This is to ensure the safety of your dog and the quality of service that the pet dentist gives.

Pet teeth cleaning consists of:

• Removing calculus above the gum line
• Removing calculus below the gum line using special tools and techniques
• Polishing the teeth so that it is harder for plaque and calculus to attach to the teeth.
• Application of sealant acts as a shield that helps slow down the accumulation of plaque on your dog’s teeth.

Discover the top 5 teeth-friendly foods every dog owner should know