Groomers do a wonderful job at keeping our pets looking good. They often are the first to spot skin growths, infected ears, or dirty teeth. Some groomers offer a dental scaling as a service thinking it is beneficial and effective.
Though groomers may have good intentions, dental cleanings fall under the exclusive care of veterinarians. Though dental tartar (brown buildup) on the teeth is unsightly, scraping the teeth is only a small piece of dealing with oral infection. When your pet’s breath is bad, it indicates bacterial overload. The biggest area of oral infections lies beneath the gum line which cannot be adequately addressed by attempted removal of tartar from an alert animal.
A proper dental procedure requires a sedated animal which allows complete exam of all gum pockets around every tooth. Deep gum pockets, which are not visible externally, indicate chronic infection which may require a tooth to be removed. Tartar then can be completely removed, and the enamel is polished to decrease future tartar accumulation. Dental disease is major factor that can determine your pet’s longevity so let us take a look!
Dr. Bob