Meadow View

   Veterinary Clinic

 

Become a Fan on Facebook!

  590 Lark Street Geneva, IL 630-232-8868

 Take our Survey!

PETS NEED DENTAL CARE, TOO!
Our pets are members of our families.  They eat with us, sleep with us, and depend upon us to take care of them.  Unfortunately, when a pet develops dental problems, it has no way of letting you know of its discomfort.

SYMPTOMS OF DENTAL PROBLEMS IN  YOUR PET
Ÿ Persistent bad breath

Ÿ Sensitivity around the mouth
Ÿ Loss of appetite or reluctance to chew hard food Ÿ Pawing at the mouth
Ÿ Difficulty eating and chewing food Ÿ Bleeding, inflamed or receded gums
Ÿ Plaque (often not visible unless stained) Ÿ Tartar (yellow-brown, hard material)
Ÿ Facial swelling Ÿ Drainage from one side of the nose or mouth
Ÿ Loose, broken, or missing teeth Ÿ Baby teeth that haven’t fallen out by 7 months of age
   

Every Day Dental Care

  Proper dental care should start when your pet is very young to develop good habits.  You should brush your pet’s teeth daily (or at least 2-3 times weekly) with either a finger brush or toothbrush and canine/feline toothpaste.  You should also feed your pet dry food or a dental diet like Hill's Prescription T/D diet.  There are also a variety of dental treats that will help keep your pets teeth healthy like Greenies, CET chews, Pedigree Dentabones or Dentastix.
   

Dental Care & Your Veterinarian

 

The clinicians at Meadow View Veterinary Clinic will check for signs of dental problems, review your home dental care routine and make recommendations for dental cleanings and any additional dental work during your pet’s annual exam.

 

Dental services provided by Meadow View Veterinary Clinic include:

 

Ÿ Routine Cleaning: A key step in preventing complex dental problems.  Removes tartar and plaque and polishes teeth.  Also improves halitosis (bad breath).

 

Ÿ Dental Radiography: Evaluation of deciduous and permanent teeth in puppies, assessment of dental disease, tooth and jaw fractures, oral tumors and TMJ.

 

Ÿ Periodontics: Treatment of disease causing bad breath, discolored (brown, yellow) teeth, reddened or bleeding gums

 

Ÿ Restorations: Treatment is available to restore the tooth with bonding or root canals and crowns can be performed by a veterinary dentist.

 

Ÿ Orthodontics: The correction of an abnormal bite which can be painful.  May also include bite evaluations and genetic counseling.

 

Ÿ Oral Surgery: Complex extractions and gingival flaps, tooth fractures, minor jaw fractures, and oral tumors.

 

Stages of Dental Disease

Click to view

Stage 1 Dental Disease:  Early Gingivitis, Inflammation at the gumline, redness and plaque accumulation

Stage 2 Dental Disease:  Advanced Gingivitis, Bleeding on probing, Tartar (mineralization of plaque), Bad Breath

Stage 3 Dental Disease:  Early Periodontitis, Pustular Discharge, Slight to moderate bone loss

Stage 4 Dental Disease:  Advanced Periodontitis, Deep pockets of infection, Severe bone loss

 

Understanding Anesthesia
 

Pet dentistry is similar to human dentistry, but there are a few notable differences.  Although humans remain conscious while their teeth are examined, animals are anesthetized for dental procedures.  Many pet owners express concern about anesthesia, particularly on an older animal.  Meadow View Veterinary Clinic takes special precautions to ensure that your pet is safely anesthetized:

 

Ÿ Blood Work: A blood sample is taken from your pet before any procedure is performed to determine if there is any liver, kidney or other disease that might interfere with anesthesia.

 

Ÿ Safe Gas Anesthesia: Only the safest available gas anesthesia is used.  Throughout the procedure, heart and oxygen saturation monitors ensure that your pet is getting the proper amount of anesthesia.  Analgesics are given to control and manage pain both pre and post-operatively.