Do you have questions about brushing your dogs teeth and other issues involving pet dental services in Van Nuys CA? If so, we recommend you keep reading to get answers or just contact Pet Orphans directly at (818) 901-0190 for help.

How can I tell if my dog or cat’s teeth need to be cleaned?

We review your pet’s oral health every year during their annual wellness visit, and your veterinarian will let you know whether dental services in Van Nuys CA are needed at that time.

At each yearly exam, your veterinarian will record the results of your pet’s oral exam in his or her medical record, allowing us to follow the progression of your pet’s dental disease year after year and notify you when a cleaning is required. You may also schedule an oral assessment with our professionals in between yearly exams to get advice on whether a dental cleaning is necessary.

Will brushing my pet’s teeth at home enhance his or her dental health?

Home oral hygiene treatments such as tooth brushing with a pet-safe, enzymatic toothpaste can aid in the maintenance of a healthy mouth, but the aim of tooth brushing is to prevent plaque from hardening into tartar on your pet’s teeth, not to remove tartar that has already formed. Only a professional dental cleaning can eliminate tartar from your pet’s teeth after it has formed. We do this as part of pet dental services in Van Nuys CA.

How long will it take to brush the teeth of my pet?

This depends on a variety of factors, including whether or not your dog needs to be sedated during cleaning.

Does my pet need to be sedated for their dental cleaning?

While some believe that anesthetic-free dentistry is feasible, we concur with the American Veterinary Dental College, which has concluded that a complete subgingival cleaning cannot be performed without anesthesia. It’s critical that we’re able to perform such a thorough cleaning since it’s behind the gingiva where all of the germs hide and create significant health problems for your cat.

This type of cleaning would be unpleasant and frightening for many of our dogs if not done under anesthetic. When your gums are painful and inflamed, imagine your dentist probing below the gum line. Our pets go through the same thing, and we couldn’t or wouldn’t ask them to stay still for the duration of the procedure.

Furthermore, anesthetic helps us to keep your pet motionless long enough to take dental x rays, which reveal whether or not there is bone and root damage beneath the gumline, and to perform oral surgery if necessary to address severe dental illness.

Do you have additional questions about pet dental services in Van Nuys CA? Then contact Pet Orphans at (818) 901-0190 now to get help.