Dentistry for Pets
There is a “Fountain of Youth”!

Ponce de Leon dedicated his life to the search for the “Fountain of Youth”. He is typically depicted pointing his arm towards his goal.

Why is a toothbrush a “Fountain of Youth”? Dental disease has two important consequences for your pet. The first is that “bad” bacteria can gain entrance into the bloodstream when dental disease is present, and these bacteria can cause problems in other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, liver or heart. The second is that dental disease is accompanied by pain, and much more pain than our pets demonstrate to us. Imagine yourself with a toothache – wouldn’t you want to keep your head as still as possible, and reduce your activity as well? This is one way our pets cope with dental pain – by becoming less active, by acting “old”, by not playing with others or their toys, by being quiet much of the time.

In the United States, our pets have the benefit of plentiful food, clean water, shelter and loving owners. We provide them with routine vaccinations, flea control, heartworm prevention, yearly physical examinations and treatment for injuries and illnesses. And we say that we love our pets and would do anything for them.

I invite you to add daily toothbrushing and yearly dental examinations, cleanings and therapy under general anesthesia to your “what I do for my pet” list. I want you to enjoy your pet in a new way – as a healthier, more vibrant, playful and energetic pet whose teeth sparkle and whose breath has little, if any, odor to it. I want you to have a pet that stays “young” for much longer, and leads a life free from dental pain.

If your pet already has some dental disease, and 80% of pets over the age of 3 years do, then I invite you to have dental therapy performed on your pet, to eliminate the disease that currently exists, to restore the mouth to a healthier condition and to learn how to maintain that health.

I have been gratified by how much improvement my patients show after having their dental disease treated. Click here for testimonials from pet owners.

I have 3 dogs – Charlotte, the Schipperke is 16 lb, Tidbit the Mixed Breed is 50 lb and Bosco the Lab is 80 lb. Every night after dinner I sit on the floor and brush their teeth. As soon as I start with Charlotte, the other two appear beside me and wait patiently for their turn. I use the CET ergonomic toothbrush on Charlotte and have trained the bigger dogs to accept an Oral-B electric toothbrush with Extra-Soft (now called “Sensitive”) heads. I use the CET toothpaste, and Poultry is their favorite, although I do use the Beef or Seafood occasionally as well. After everyone is done, they get a Pet Tab as a treat. I then clean the brushes and put them away for the next evening. The whole procedure takes me about 12 minutes.

Of course, my dogs can’t talk. But I really believe that they want me to brush their teeth. The toothpaste tastes good, they enjoy the attention and praise they get while I am brushing their teeth, and afterwards they get a little treat and more praise. I can even talk myself into believing that they recognize that they feel better with a clean mouth. Of course, I can’t prove this! I know that they feel better with a clean mouth, and this is really all I need to know.