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Postal Address:
Street Address: (402) 336-3883
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Your pet’s dental health has a big impact on its overall well being. Dental disease is the number one health problem diagnosed in dogs and cats. Infection in the mouth can release bacteria into the bloodstream and potentially affect your pet's internal organs including the heart, kidneys, liver and more. Loose, abscessed, broken or otherwise diseased teeth cause a significant amount of discomfort for your pet, even though he or she may still appear to be eating and drinking normally. If your pet has bad breath, seems sensitive around its mouth, has any areas of swelling around the face, has any broken teeth, bleeding from the mouth or gums, or seems reluctant to chew, then it may be time to have a dental exam performed. In addition, young dogs that have not lost their full set of puppy teeth (especially the canine teeth) by 6 months of age should be examined by a veterinarian to determine if these teeth need to be extracted. Otherwise, these extra teeth can cause damage to the adult (permanent) teeth. For many pets, evaluation of the entire mouth may require general anesthesia. Proper cleaning of the entire mouth requires general anesthesia in all pets. Removing tartar in an awake animal without proper polishing afterwards can actually lead to tooth damage and more tartar build-up than before. At the O’Neill Veterinary Clinic, we follow the guidelines recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association, including a full preanesthetic physical exam, then once the pet is under anesthesia, we clean the teeth above and below the gumline (using the appropriate hand and power tools), followed by polishing with a special paste and fluoride treatment to help slow the return of tartar following the procedure. We will also extract diseased teeth, and evaluate for gingivitis and periodontitis. Following a proper cleaning, appropriate at home care will help maintain your pet's dental health. At home care includes tooth brushing, special diets and chew treats aimed at minimizing plaque and tartar. Be somewhat cautious of chew treats though as pets can actually break their teeth chewing on hard products such as meat bones and hard nylon chews. More information on veterinary dentistry:
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