February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

Are your pet's teeth healthy?

Most dental disease happens under the gum line, where we can't see it. So if you do see tartar (that brown stuff on your pet's teeth) or red swollen gums then professional care is needed.

​Other signs to watch for:

• bad breath
• broken or loose teeth
• extra teeth or retained baby teeth
• teeth that are discolored or covered in tartar
• abnormal chewing, drooling, or dropping food from the mouth
• reduced appetite or refusal to eat
• pain in or around the mouth
• bleeding from the mouth
• swelling in the areas surrounding the mouth

​Ok, it's time for that cleaning. Curious about what we do for your pets' teeth? This video takes you through what we look for, and how we perform a professional dental cleaning to get a healthy mouth.

Periodontal disease is the most common dental disease in dogs and cats, and most pets have mild cases by the time they're 3 years old. The sooner it's identified and treated, the better for your pet. Advanced periodontal disease is irreversible, causes pain, and leads to tooth loss - no thank you!

It all starts with plaque - it only takes 24 hours to harden into a microscopic layer of tartar. Tartar below the gumline damages the tooth root and sets up chronic infection. We brush our teeth twice a day to get rid of plaque so that doesn't happen to us, and we see our dentists twice a year. Your pet needs daily brushing too, and usually a professional cleaning once a year to keep those teeth healthy.

Questions? Give us a call!