Veterinary Dental Care in Mansfield

Happy, Healthy Pets and Happy, Healthy Smiles

Much like humans, regular dental care is an essential part of your pet’s overall health. While a visit to the dentist isn’t a lot of fun for either pets or humans, it’s still important to be sure that your pet’s mouth is as well taken care of as the rest of their body. Our Mansfield veterinary professionals will keep your pet’s smile as happy and healthy as possible!

Mansfield Veterinary Clinic offers a broad range of dental care services to meet your pet’s needs. During your pet’s regular wellness exams, we’ll conduct an exam of your pet’s mouth and jaw before recommending any dental treatments.

Overview

Studies show that 50% of all dogs and cats have some form of periodontal disease. That number jumps to 80% in pets that are 3 years of age or older. If left untreated, periodontal disease can cause infection, pain, and tooth loss over time. It can also lead to serious health problems like microscopic changes in the heart, liver, and kidneys. Because of this, we recommend an annual veterinary dental healthcare examination for all pets.

Why do pets need dental care?

Many health problems start in the mouth. Plaque, tartar, periodontal disease, and infected teeth serve as a source of inflammation and infection for the rest of the body.

Dental disease is one of the most common problems that we see in dogs and cats. It can cause drooling, reluctance to eat, swelling, bad breath, redness of the gums, loose teeth and tooth discoloration.

Stinky Breath? It May Be Periodontal Disease

The most common disease among cats and dogs is dental disease, also known as periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is an infection of the tissue under your pet’s teeth. If left untreated, this disease can progress to cause lost teeth or even damage to the bones of your pet’s jaw. Stop dental disease before it happens!

Symptoms of periodontal disease include:

• Bad breath

• Blood in your pet’s saliva or water dish

• Loose teeth

• Pain while eating

• Redness or swollen gums

If you notice any of the symptoms in your pet, it’s a good idea to book a dental exam with us as soon as you can. Our Mansfield veterinary team is ready to help get your pet smiling again!

How Does Periodontal Disease Start?

Like humans, periodontal disease in pets starts with plaque, a bacterial film that builds up on the teeth. If you don’t brush your pet’s teeth regularly, the bacteria dies and hardens on your pet’s teeth, causing more surfaces for plaque to accumulate. At this stage, brushing can still help. There are also certain chew toys and hard foods that might help your pet dislodge plaque.

If your pet’s teeth go for too long without proper brushing, the plaque can move below the gum line. This is when infection and pain can start to happen. Professional cleaning is the only way to completely get rid of plaque at this stage. That’s where the team at Mansfield Animal Clinic can step in to help.

When should I seek dental care for my pet?

Dental issues and dental related diseases can easily be prevented by visiting our veterinarians regularly for dental examinations and cleanings. We take a comprehensive approach to dental care including dental health assessment, treatment, and prevention.

How does it work?

Teeth Exams, Cleaning and Polishing

Dog and cat dental cleanings are very similar to human dental cleanings, except that we are required to use anesthesia to properly and safely examine and clean the teeth. After the cleaning, our veterinarians perform a thorough oral exam and check for signs of disease like gum loss, root exposure, or pockets around the root.

Also similar to human dentistry, we do full mouth radiographs (x-rays) of your pet. This allows our veterinarians to be able to evaluate the roots of your pet's teeth as well as any disease or abnormalities that are located below the gum line and not visible on examination alone.

Tooth Extractions

We make every effort to save teeth that we feel have a chance to be successfully treated. In many circumstances, however, periodontal disease is so advanced that treatment without extraction is unsuccessful. We only extract teeth that in the doctor's opinion are beyond saving.

Minor Oral Surgery

Many teeth require oral surgery to safely remove each individual root. We have extensive training and experience to perform these procedures properly. Pain medications are administered in clinic and provided for in-home aftercare.

Professional Dental Cleaning at Mansfield Animal Clinic

Dental cleanings for pets require anesthesia so that they’re comfortable throughout the procedure. With our fully equipped surgical suite, we’ll monitor your pet throughout the cleaning to make sure they’re stable for the duration of the process.

Like dental cleanings for humans, pets will get their teeth cleaned of plaque and polished up before having a fluoride treatment applied to their teeth. This will help prevent future plaque buildup.

Once your pet’s teeth are sparkling clean again, we’ll help you understand how to take care of your pet’s teeth moving forward. Maintenance is the key to keeping your pet smiling! Be sure to come in for regular checkups so that we can catch the periodontal disease before it happens to your pet.

If you have any questions about our dental services, please give us a call at (817) 663-8101.