Dental Care

Dental Care

Sierra Veterinary Hospital The veterinarians at Sierra Veterinary Hospital recommend at home dental care from the first day you bring your new pet home.

At home dental care begins by making your new pet comfortable with human hands near their face and mouth. Once your companion is ok with this, you may rub your fingers along their teeth and gums. Next introduce a “finger brush” (made especially for pets) and then move on to a full size pet toothbrush. After your pet has acccepted you using a toothbrush with water on it in his or her mouth, then start using veterinary specific toothpaste. Never use human toothpaste. Pet toothpaste, toothbrushes, and oral rinses are available through Sierra Vet Hospital. You may be able to find similar products at pet stores as well, please ask our vets first for recommendations. 

As your pet matures they will need an occasional dental cleaning. Build-up of bacteria, plaque and tartar on your pet’s teeth can lead to serious (but preventable) periodontal disease as well as systemic disease if bacteria invades the blood stream. Cases of heart valve infection (endocarditis), kidney disease, gastrointestinal disease, liver disease and lung disease have been linked to severe dental disease.

At Sierra Vet Hospital, we take dental work very seriously. Dental procedures require general anesthesia to clean you pet's teeth adequately, your pet will receive an examination by one of our veterinarians that morning. During the procedure, we will evaluate all of your pet's teeth to ensure that there are no fractures, pockets, or cavities that need to be addressed. If any issues are found, we will call you to discuss the best treatment options. While the dental procedure is being performed, we will be monitoring your pet closely under general anesthesia.

We will clean and polish your pet's teeth and apply a fluoride rinse to the teeth and gums. Our goal is to clean the teeth thoroughly, address any underlying issues, and discuss them with you. After the dental, we will discuss any and all preventative measures that can be taken to minimize dental work needed to be done in the future.

The veterinarians at Sierra Animal Hospital monitor periodontal disease at your pet’s annual exam. Recommendations for dental care will be discussed then. Follow through is critical for your companion’s health.

Please schedule your pre-dental exam by calling 530-542-1952

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