Our team recommends having your pet’s teeth cleaned at least
ONCE A YEAR
to properly maintain their dental health and prevent issues with their overall health as well
Dental care is one of the most important aspects of healthcare for pets, and at McGehee Clinic for Animals, we provide professional cat and dog teeth cleaning in Memphis, TN to help maintain your pet’s clean smile and dental hygiene.
Schedule your companion’s next dental appointment at McGehee Clinic for Animals today!
Does My Pet Need Dental Care?
Our pets are great at hiding any symptoms of pain or discomfort, which makes it difficult to know when they require a dog or cat teeth cleaning. There may not be a visible change in your pet’s behavior, and they are likely to continue eating normally. If you notice increased licking, altered or heavy breathing, changes in posture or sleep habits, your pet may be in pain and require dental care to address it. There are a few different symptoms and behaviors to look for if you’re trying to decide whether it’s time to bring your pet in to our animal hospital, such as:
Bad breath
Broken, loose, or missing teeth
Discoloration or tartar build up
Excessive chewing or drooling
Reduced appetite or inability to chew
Swelling and bleeding in or around the mouth
Our Oral Health Procedure
A variety of oral problems are hidden below the gum line and require your pet to be fully sedated so our team can examine all teeth and evaluate their gums. We will perform a health evaluation prior to anesthesia and place an IV catheter to supply the safest form of anesthesia and fluids to your pet throughout the procedure. Once your pet is fully sedated, we will continue with the following procedure:
- We will clean above the gum line by cleaning the crown of each tooth and removing any plaque and tartar build up with an ultrasonic scaler instrument. We also perform a root-planing procedure to clean below the gum line and remove any bacteria or plaque. This subgingival cleaning will help prevent periodontal disease.
- Your veterinarian will evaluate your pet’s mouth and make note of any abnormalities such as tongue or lip lesions, deep pockets in the gums around the teeth and loose, broken, or discolored teeth so they can be addressed during your pet’s appointment. Using cutting edge technology, we will take advanced digital X-rays of your pet’s mouth to uncover any problems that may not be visible during an exam.
- Then, our team will flush the gums with an antibacterial solution to treat potential inflammation from debris that becomes trapped below the gum line after scaling and polishing the teeth.
- Once this is complete, we will polish each tooth and provide a fluoride treatment to support the enamel, decrease tooth sensitivity, and reduce the risk of formation of Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions.
- Finally, your veterinarian will discuss a treatment plan such as tooth extraction, bonded sealants of fractures or local antibiotic treatment of pockets around the teeth to address any issues discovered during your pet’s assessment. We can also provide you with an estimate at this time.
