DOG AND CAT TEETH CLEANING

At Sunrise Veterinary Services in Alpena, dental care is a very important part of your pet’s overall health. In fact, we perform regular oral exams as part of an annual wellness check-up. While we always check for signs of dental disease, we also highly recommend preventive pet dental care regardless of whether or not we find signs of disease. With proper at-home care and regular professional cleanings, your dog and cat can avoid dental complications all together!

Professional Cat and Dog Dental Care: Reversing Dental Disease

If caught early enough, dental disease can be completely reversed with a single professional teeth cleaning. Dental disease begins with plaque build-up which soon hardens into tartar where bacteria thrives and begins to inflame the gums. As it progresses, tartar forms below the gum line, causing severe inflammation, pain, and even erosion of the tooth. Once it has gotten this far, teeth may break and fall out. Bacteria can also then leak into the bloodstream and cause damage to internal organs.

With regular dog and cat teeth cleaning, this debilitating stage of the disease can be avoided. During a dental visit, our trained staff will perform:

  • A thorough dental exam
  • Scaling of each tooth both above and below the gumline
  • Polishing of each tooth to slow the progression of future plaque build-up
  • Extractions of damaged teeth if needed

Our technicians are thoroughly trained in proper teeth cleaning techniques and a veterinarian always examines your pet’s mouth to determine if any further dental procedures are necessary during a cleaning.

Pet Dentist Exams for Small Mammals & Exotics

Our extensive dental treatments are for cats and dogs, but for small mammals and exotics, we will perform dental examinations to ensure their oral health. While scaling is not possible for small mammals, we can recommend diets that will help ensure proper oral health and hygiene.

Preventive Pet Dental Care at Home

Dental care doesn’t start and stop with us. As a responsible owner, it is up to you to continue to provide your pet with consistent pet dental care at home. While brushing your cat or dog’s teeth every day is the best method, it can be difficult with uncooperative pets and busy schedules. Luckily, there are plenty of other options such as dental diets, dental treats, water additives, rinses, and more. Ask us about your pet’s options at your next appointment!