Preventative Dental Care

Proper dental care is often overlooked, but can have devastating consequences if improperly managed. As in their human counterparts, periodontal disease in animals can lead to tooth loss as well as heart, liver and kidney disease.

Your pet’s dental health is evaluated and monitored at each annual wellness examination. Any necessary steps or recommendations are discussed and planned. Sometimes it is as easy as an enzymatic treat or food additive. With advanced disease, it may be recommended that we perform a prophylactic cleaning. On average, it is recommended that dental prophylaxis be done every 1-3 years depending on each animal’s rate of tartar accumulation and dental disease.

Unlike their human counterparts, even well-mannered pets are not able to sit for a thorough cleaning and polishing without general anesthesia. At Ridgewood Animal Hospital we utilize every tool to ensure a safe anesthetic procedure. We recommend a pre-anesthetic blood panel to evaluate organ function, IV catheterization for venous access and support as well as electronic and trained professionals to monitor vital signs while under anesthesia.

Under extreme circumstances, tooth extraction may be necessary. The professionally trained medical staff at Ridgewood Animal Hospital will safely and efficiently remove medicine to safely and efficiently remove any affected tooth. We always employ such techniques as local nerve blocks, morphine-like drugs, and oral anti-inflammatory drugs to go home.