Dental care is vital for the health of your cat or dog and just like in humans regular dental check up, scale and polish is vital for the health of your animal. Dental disease is very common and can not only contribute to degenerative changes and infection in your pets mouth but the bacteria can spread to vital organs and contribute to other medical issues. Animals may not show overt signs of dental disease, therefore regular dental check ups are vital for overall health of your pet.

A dental check up consists of examination of the visible teeth surface and probing around the teeth for signs of bone. However, a tooth may appear healthy to the naked eye but there may be diseased roots below the gum-line that are contributing to infection and pain. Therefore, radiographs or x-rays of the mouth are recommended to identify any underlying abnormalities early.

Dental x-rays can allow us to properly assess for tooth root damage, tooth root abscesses, tooth fractures, tooth root resorption, retained tooth roots, missing teeth as well as determine whether we need to extract a discoloured or fractured tooth.

In cats we commonly use dental x-rays to assess for feline resorptive lesions these are erosions of the enamel or outer layer of the tooth that are very painful. Using x-rays in conjunction with a full dental exam will allow abnormalities to be identified early and allow an appropriate treatment plan to be made.

X-rays are painless, non-invasive and safe for your pet.

They are usually taken under a general anaesthetic at the time of a dental examination and cleaning procedure. They allow your vet to assess each tooth individually from the enamel to the root allowing us to properly assess your pets dental health and to detect dental disease at its earliest stage.

If you have any questions or would like to book your pet in for a dental exam or radiographs please contact us on 4362 1644.