We are so excited about dentistry at the Tamarack Veterinary Clinic. All dental cleaning patients are anesthetized and have intravenous fluids. We have state of the art anesthesia, monitoring, patient warming, dental x-ray systems and dental cleaning equipment. Every patient undergoing a cleaning will have full mouth x-rays taken as part of the cleaning. Dogs and cats develop many problems under the gum line. This means we can’t see them without using an x-ray. We don’t want to miss any problem that could be causing pain for your pet. We are happy to give you a clinic tour if you are considering a dental procedure for your pet and answer any questions you may have.

Can’t my groomer brush or scale my pet’s teeth? Or can’t you just do the scaling with my pet awake?
Not only is this painful and scary for your pet, it doesn’t clean under the gum line. This is where the major problems happen. So, we clean off the visible tartar and we get a false sense of security about our pet’s dental health. The patient below had non-professional anesthesia free dental cleanings and this was the result. The cost and pain of long term dental disease far outweigh any perceived cost savings on veterinary dental cleanings. The second image shows the bone loss that can happen due to hidden disease under the gums. All the teeth displayed with errors would need surgical extraction.

So what can I do?
Please call us! Our team is crazy about teeth and they would love to help you. Dental health is not solved by one thing alone. That’s why we brush, floss, rinse and visit our dentist regularly. We can talk about dental diets, home brushing programs, water additives, chews and regular cleanings. Please look for the VOHC seal before purchasing anything for your pet’s dental health. This means that a team of veterinary dentists have looked at the product and the research behind it. This product will do what it claims to do! Please feel free to go on your computer and read about the veterinary oral health council at http://www.vohc.org/