Veterinary Dentistry In Myrtle Beach, SC
Veterinary Dentistry In Myrtle Beach, SC
Proper dental care is essential for your pet’s overall health, potentially extending their lifespan by 2-3 years. Dental issues, such as periodontal disease and tooth decay, are common in pet’s teeth and can lead to severe health concerns like cardiac disease or kidney disease if left untreated. Coastal Veterinary Care in Myrtle Beach offers comprehensive pet teeth cleaning to help protect from these issues and keep your pet’s oral health optimal.
Myrtle Beach Pet Dental Care at Home
While at-home dental care can help manage tartar buildup, professional teeth cleanings are still necessary to address underlying dental health problems. Here are some tips for maintaining your pet’s oral health between visits:
- Brush Daily: Using pet-safe toothpaste (never human toothpaste, which can contain toxic ingredients like xylitol) and a soft-bristled or finger brush can help control plaque.
- Dental Chew Toys and Enzymatic Powders: Products approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council can help manage plaque regularly.
With time and patience, pets can learn to tolerate regular dental care routines, especially if introduced gently.
Why Schedule a Dental Appointment with a Myrtle Beach Vet?
Even with diligent at-home care, professional dental exams are crucial. Pets often hide signs of pain or oral health conditions, making it easy for issues like tooth decay or severe periodontal disease to progress undetected. Regular cleanings allow us to catch these problems early, potentially preventing serious conditions.
Neglecting your pet’s dental care can lead to tooth extractions or advanced periodontal treatments, both of which can be avoided with an annual checkup.
Signs Your Pet Needs a Dental Checkup:
- Bad breath
- Discolored teeth or tooth discoloration
- Bleeding or swollen gums
- Changes in eating habits or drooling
What to Expect During a Professional Pet Dental Cleaning in SC
Your pet’s dental procedure at Coastal Veterinary Care is thorough to ensure the best outcome. Here’s what happens:
- Initial Assessment and Anesthesia: To make the experience safe and comfortable, we use general anesthesia to keep anxious patients still and pain-free. This allows our team to conduct a complete oral examination and take dental X-rays to check for hidden issues.
- Scaling and Polishing: Using an ultrasonic scaler, we remove plaque below the gum line to prevent gum disease.
- Additional Diagnostics: We might recommend chest radiographs, urine analysis, or blood work to assess your pet’s overall health.
- Treatment Plan: If any issues are found, such as tooth decay or advanced periodontal disease, we’ll develop a treatment plan and may need to perform tooth extractions or oral surgery.
FAQs
Why Go to the Vet for Pet Dental Cleanings?
Even with adequate home care, it’s good to bring your pet in for professional cleaning if your veterinarian recommends this procedure. Just like human teeth, animal teeth have many areas that regular brushing can miss. In addition, animals have evolved to hide any signs of pain or weakness from potential predators. So, if your pet is suffering from an oral health issue, they may go on eating and acting normally despite a worsening condition. However, a trained eye can spot any problems that arise, despite your pet’s behavior.
Having your pet’s teeth cleaned regularly is very important. Putting off your dog or cat’s teeth cleaning can lead to multiple problems such as tooth loss and gum disease. In addition, gum disease is the most common dental condition in dogs and cats. It’s so common that by the time your pet is three years old, it will likely show signs of periodontal disease. If left untreated, periodontal disease can progress into other issues such as cardiac and kidney problems. Early detection is key to stopping the progression of periodontal disease in your pet.
Be on the lookout for any signs that your pet requires attention from a veterinarian, such as altered eating patterns, excessive drooling, bad breath, discolored teeth, loose teeth, or bleeding from the gums. Without proper care, these issues can worsen and lead to bigger concerns that are more difficult and expensive to treat.
What Happens During A Pet Dental Cleaning
Your pet’s veterinarian will check for halitosis (bad breath) and evidence of dental diseases such as swelling of the gums or tartar; in addition to recommending lab work to evaluate your pet’s overall internal organ function. During your pet’s dental appointment, general anesthesia is used for sedation so that the veterinarian can perform a thorough oral exam, take dental radiographs (x-rays) to evaluate the teeth you cannot see under the gum, probe for pockets, check for tumors or foreign objects, and then a technician cleans and polishes the teeth. The American College of Veterinary Dentists advises general anesthesia for a thorough exam and cleaning, as an awake pet could choke, injure itself, or experience pain, etc.
Veterinary dentistry includes scaling and polishing, just like our own dental care. Plaque is removed from below the gum line to help prevent gum disease with an ultrasonic scaler. Sometimes, dental problems progress beyond the point of cleaning. In these cases, your veterinarian will recommend extracting teeth to keep decay, pain, and infection from spreading to the rest of your pet’s mouth. Just like your dentist cannot predict the number of cavities you may have, until a veterinarian has done a sedated dental examination, probing, and taken dental radiographs, this is the same case. In other scenarios, referral to a boarded veterinary dental specialist may be necessary. Discuss any concerns with your veterinarian.
Why Should I Choose Coastal Veterinary Care?
At Coastal Veterinary Care, we provide wellness exams which include a thorough examination, time with the veterinarian, client education, and partnering with you to help your pet live its best life
The staff at Coastal Veterinary Care are passionate about making your animals feel comfortable and at home in our clinic. Our certified Fear Free employees have received extensive training about how to keep animals less stressed during their wellness exams and other veterinary procedures. Our cat clients will like that we offer tuna and brushings when their pet shows signs of discomfort, and we provide non-slip pads that prevent rising anxiety when they are placed on a slick surface.
We’re Here To Care For Your Best Friend
We recognize that the bond between you and your pet is powerful and that you want them to be in the best health for as long as possible. At Coastal Veterinary Care, we strive to provide the quality pet care that the people of Myrtle Beach look for in veterinary practices. That’s why Dr. Laura Black, DVM, and her team are dedicated to providing compassionate, honest, and reliable service when you and your pet need it most. We are AAHA accredited which means staff undergoes extra training in anesthetic monitoring. Additionally, Dr. Black attends continuing education in veterinary dentistry. So, please book an appointment today, and let us give your pet the care they deserve.