Dental Care
Just like with people, your pet’s teeth can provide a clear picture of their overall health and alert us to possible problems developing on the inside.
By age 3, about 80% of dogs and 70% of cats already show signs of dental disease.
Left untreated, dental disease can lead to pain, infection, and problems with the heart, kidneys, and liver.
By maintaining annual wellness visits (twice yearly for senior and geriatric pets, and pets with a history of illness), we can help to prevent dental disease through maintenance at home and yearly cleanings at our hospital.
Why should my pet have yearly or twice-yearly Wellness Exams?
Our pets age much faster than we do. A lot can happen in a year for a dog or a cat. When meeting with Dr. Morphis and her team for a wellness exam, we take a big-picture look at your pet companion.
We examine behavior, examine your pet from nose to tail (inside and outside), and investigate environmental factors that may affect your pet.
Part of the time we spend with you and your pet during the wellness exam includes examining their mouth, teeth, and gums. Our team uses a Dental Grading Chart like the one to the right to evaluate your dog or cat’s dental health.
From there, we will provide resources on how to help prevent dental disease at home using pet-safe products like toothbrushes, pet-safe toothpaste, and chews to help prevent plaque buildup.
Our goal is always to catch issues early to reduce the need for invasive procedures and help your pet avoid unnecessary pain.
Preventive Dental Care
Just like people, pets can benefit from yearly dental cleanings and exams. However, unlike dental cleanings for people, our pets have to undergo anesthesia for this procedure.
We know it can be scary to have your pet companion be put under anesthesia. Our team is there every step of the way to ensure your pet experiences a safe and comfortable dental procedure.
Pre-Anesthetic Blood Work
Your pet’s safety is always our top priority. Before placing your dog or cat under anesthesia for a dental cleaning or procedure, we perform pre-anesthetic blood work. This screening helps us evaluate organ function (like the liver and kidneys), check for hidden illness, and ensure your pet is healthy enough to undergo anesthesia safely.
Professional Cleaning and Polishing
Our team will carefully administer anesthesia while staying by your pet’s side the entire time. From start to finish, your pet will be comforted by the familiar faces they know and trust. When they wake up, those same faces will greet them.
A skilled team member will begin taking dental X-rays while your pet is under anesthesia to identify any possible problems that lie below the gumline, such as hidden disease, bone loss, or infection.
Your pet’s teeth will then be professionally cleaned and polished. Dr. Morphis will then join the team to perform any extractions of damaged or diseased teeth to help your pet maintain comfort and overall wellness.
After the procedure is completed, our team will be with your pet as they come out of anesthesia, ready to comfort them until they are ready to head home. They will report their detailed findings to you, including care instructions and the next steps.
More importantly, your pet’s smile will be refreshed, and their dental health will be on track.
Minor Oral Surgery
Dr. Morphis also offers minor oral surgery services to correct specific oral issues. These services may include:
