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  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Testimonials
  • Services
  • Online Store
  • Client Resources
    • Clinic Forms
    • Specials/Promos
    • Payment Options
    • Useful Links
    • Boarding
    • Grooming
    • Puppy Information
  • Contact Us

Vet Articles

Vet Articles

Vet Articles

Dental Hygiene and Oral Care

Dental Hygiene and Oral Care

Don't ignore your pet's bad breath! Dental hygiene is often the cause of stinky breath, and it may indicate other important problems with your pet's health. We understand how easy it is to miss. Many of the problems that stem from poor hygiene occur where you can't see them - below your pet's gum line.

The first line of defense is always home care. But while some animals (especially dogs) tolerate their owners handling their mouths and brushing their teeth, most (especially cats) will struggle or act out. That can always make oral care difficult at best, and ineffective at worst.

The best way to ensure your pet's oral health is to have regular cleanings at our office. Discuss how often you ought to come in as well as a home hygiene regimen with your vet. This will also prevent dental issues from progressing to larger (and potentially deadly) internal issues, such as dysfunction or disease in the heart, kidneys, liver, or lungs.

In the wild, hiding pain, illness, or other weaknesses are survival instincts. Many times, your pet will have the same instincts, even in the safety and comfort of your loving home, so always keep an eye on your pet's eating habits and behaviors. Recognizing the difference between normal changes in mood and red flags can be difficult sometimes.

What you interpret as a persistent grumpiness may actually be a sign that your pet is in pain.

New irritability, shying away from being touched (especially on the face and around the mouth or throat), sluggishness, loss of appetite or difficulty eating, and lethargy are all behavioral signs which may indicate illness.

However, if you note any of the following physical changes, contact your vet immediately:
 

  • Red and swollen gums

  • Bleeding gums, especially when eating or when having teeth brushed

  • Swelling around the mouth

  • Oral abscesses

  • Abnormal chewing

  • Loose or missing teeth

  • Discolored teeth

  • Crusted build up at the edge of the gums

  • Persistent bad or fetid breath

  • Excessive drooling

  • Weight loss
     

Remember, preventing oral infections and disease will help your pet live a longer, healthier life. Furthermore, caring for your pet with regular cleanings now will save you money later. 

Dental Hygiene and Oral Care

Anesthesia for procedures

We always recommend and utilize the use of anesthesia for all dental procedures.
There are always risks when using an anesthetic, however, these risks are outweighed by the fact that this makes all procedures safer for your pet, safer for the vet, and ensures efficacy. Attempting procedures without anesthesia can present other dangers to the animal or vet. Especially when work needs to be done under the gum line, any movement could mean harm to your pet from our dental equipment.

After all, your pet cannot have a reasoned discussion with our staff the way you can with your dentist. Procedures are likely to make them afraid and they will probably try to get away. Animals who are in pain will often act defensively and are more likely to bite. Even when they're healthy, most animals cannot hold still long enough for procedures like X-rays to be completed correctly.

Advances in the latest anesthetics mean that for most normal procedures, your pet can go home on the very same day. They may be groggy, but their behavior should return to normal the next day.
 

Procedures we offer

The procedures we use to treat your pet's mouth are very close to the procedures a dentist uses for you.

Your pet's health is as important to us as it is to you which is why we provide a full offering of dental procedures including:
 

Hygiene:

  • Scaling (removal of plaque and tartar above the gum line)

  • Polishing

  • Filing

  • Cleaning plaque and tartar below the gum line

  • Examining below the gum line for signs of disease (X-ray)
     

Oral Procedures:

  • Tooth restoration

  • Periodontal disease treatments

  • Infection treatment
     

Surgical procedures:

  • Fracture repairs

  • Extraction of teeth or dental pulp

  • Oral cancer or cysts treatment

  • Cleft palate treatment

  • Tooth abscess treatment

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Helpful Articles

  • Dogs
    • Canine Distemper
    • Canine Parvovirus
    • Picking Your Perfect Puppy
  • Cats
    • Feline Distemper
    • Picking Your Perfect Cat
  • Health
    • Dental Hygiene and Oral Care
    • Euthanasia
    • Feeding Your Pet
    • Flea Prevention and Care
    • General Pet Safety
    • Heartworm
    • Heat Stroke Awareness
    • Pet Grooming
    • Pet Obesity
    • Recognizing An Ill Pet
    • Seasonal Care
    • Ticks
    • Vaccinations and Examinations
  • General
    • Bringing Your Pet Home
    • Pets and Kids
    • How to Adopt
    • Traveling with Your Pet
    • Training Your Pet
    • Finding A Reputable Breeder
  • Large Animals
    • Equine Castration
    • Equine Dentistry
    • Equine Endoscopy
    • Equine Lameness Evaluation

24 Hour Emergency Service

You may contact:
MedVet Medical & Cancer Center for Pets
​​​​​​​(614) 846-5800

VEG Dublin
(380) 235-6233

TESTIMONIALS

There is no other place in this world that I would take my animals to! the staff here is intelligent, caring, and personalizes every recommendation to your animals specific needs. We have been going here for 20 years and will continue to come here! they are the absolute best.
SN
Sam Nicole
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Quality, experienced staff. You can tell not only that these folks love what they do for a living, but that they love your pet as well. Would highly recommend to any pet owner.
MC
Mark C.
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I highly recommend Dr. Truesdale and this clinic. I took my cats here for two years, until I moved out of the area and they took great care of them!
NP
Nettie P.
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Contact Information

2133 W. Dublin-Granville Rd
Worthington, OH 43085

Phone : 614-888-5170
Fax : 614-888-1068
​​​​​​​Mon to Fri: 8:00am - 5:15pm
Sat: 8:00am - 12:00pm
Sun: Closed
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