Pet Dentistry

his can range from recommending regular tooth brushing to requiring a complete dental cleaning. At Beach Park Animal Clinic, we perform many routine dental procedures such as cleanings (prophylaxis) and extractions. The importance of a clean mouth can not be stressed enough for our veterinary patients and is one of the primary things that can be done to give your pet a longer, healthier life. Check out some before and after photos below to see the difference a cleaning can make. Remember, proper dental preventative measures will be safer for your pet and also save you money in the long run.

The goal of routine dental cleaning is to remove the accumulated plaque, bacteria and tartar from all the tooth surfaces. To do this properly, it is essential that your pet is under anesthesia/sedation. We routinely perform blood work prior to anesthesia to make sure your pet is capable of processing the sedation. During our prophylaxis, your pet receives a thorough oral exam, ultrasonic scaling of all tooth surfaces, charting of its dentition/monitoring of gum pocket depths, and polishing of all dental surfaces. This leaves your pet with a cleaner healthier mouth. Finally, our Tampa veterinary clinic provides you with a written dental report card including before and after color photos of your pet’s mouth so you can see the difference.

After your pet has undergone a dental cleaning, it is extremely important to treat any additional oral health issues that were discovered (ex. fractured teeth, gingivitis, etc.) If no specific therapy is required, establish a regular maintenance routine for your dog or cat’s mouth. The gold standard for this is regular brushing, but there are some alternatives if your pet won’t allow it. The process isn’t as daunting as you may think, and you can see an instructional video here to help you get your pet used to it.

Click here to view our dental poster.