Pet Dental Care in Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Learn more about our pet dental care services below.
Dental damage, decay, and infections can be a serious health threat to your dog or cat. Dental disease can result in bad breath, painful chewing, and tooth loss. And the pain associated with it can dramatically affect your pet’s behavior and personality.
But that’s not all…
Bacteria under the gum can cause even greater damage when it travels through the respiratory and digestive tracts to reach vital organs. It can cause tissue in a pet’s windpipe to thicken, reducing the diameter of the airway. And it can cause pneumonia once it reaches the lungs. This same bacteria can infect and inflame heart valves, which can lead to heart disease, arrhythmia, and even heart failure. It can cause liver abscesses and infect kidneys. And if it reaches the bloodstream, it could result in sepsis. Additionally, this bacteria taxes the immune system and makes it harder for your pet to manage stress, prevent other infections, fight cancer, eliminate old cells, and perform other critical functions.
Unfortunately, oral problems and the resulting pain are often hidden and go unnoticed until your pet enters a crisis. Fortunately, proper dental care can help to prevent or catch problems early on in order to keep your pet healthy and happy while adding years to his or her life.
At Good Hope Animal Hospital, our dedicated and continuously educated doctors and technicians aim to provide the highest quality of preventative oral care, as well as treatments for dental issues, periodontal disease, and other issues related to oral health.
The Dental Exam
At Good Hope Animal Hospital, dental care begins with a thorough oral exam during your pet’s annual exam. We recommend doing this annually or as soon as you notice an issue with your pet’s oral health. We also recommend contacting us to schedule an exam as soon as you notice an issue with your pet’s oral health.
During the exam, we inspect each tooth for damage, decay, and the buildup of calculus or plaque. We examine the health of the gums and the mouth in general and look for growths or other abnormalities. And we also look for signs of oral cancer, which can be very aggressive and may require urgent surgical removal. Sometimes, depending on the issue and the particular pet, these exams must be done under anesthesia.
If your pet is coming in for a surgical dental cleaning, we will examine below the gum line, as roughly 60% of a tooth is hidden below it. As part of this procedure, we will take dental x-rays using state-of-the-art digital radiography to better identify, diagnose and treat dental problems.
When problems are found, we prepare an appropriate treatment plan.
The Dental Procedure
Throughout every procedure, we go above and beyond to care for our clients’ pets like they were our own. Treatment begins with pre-op bloodwork to make sure your pet’s organs are healthy and can safely tolerate anesthesia. On the day of the procedure, we perform a pre-op exam to check for any newly developed heart or other physical conditions that could impact their treatment.
Once your pet is fully prepared, we perform their dental procedure in our specialized dental suite, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment. IV Fluids are given continuously during the procedure, as well as through recovery. Likewise, we provide continuous medical and nursing monitoring before and during sedation anesthesia and throughout recovery for the highest quality care possible. Plus, we’ll keep you up to date via text messages throughout your pet’s treatment day!
Upon picking up your pet, you’ll be given complete, easy-to-follow discharge instructions. You’ll also receive a personal follow-up call the next day so we can check on your pet and answer any questions you might have.
Ongoing Prevention & Treatment
As part of any preventive or treatment plan, we recommend regular dental cleanings. This includes descaling teeth to remove harmful calculus, polishing, and applying dental sealants.
In addition to annual checkups and cleanings, we advise our clients on proper at-home dental care. This could include tips on brushing their pet’s teeth, making adjustments to their diet, and more.
Pets that don’t receive regular oral care can painfully lose their teeth, suffer serious health problems, or worse. And because dogs and cats can hide pain so well, you may not realize they have a serious dental problem until it’s advanced. Plus, delaying dental work can increase the risk of complications, increase the cost of treatment, and extend your pet’s recovery period.
Proper dental care truly is vital to maintaining the health and longevity of your dog or cat. With regular dental checkups and cleanings, along with at-home care, your pet can live a longer, healthier, and happier life.
Why Choose Good Hope For Your Pet’s Dental Health
At Good Hope Animal Hospital, we care for your pet just like he or she were our own. That’s why we refuse to take shortcuts with your pet’s health and instead go the extra mile with…
- A specialized dental suite with state-of-the-art equipment
- Full-screening dental radiographs that can uncover imminent issues that can be addressed before they become severe
- Full oral exam to check for growths or other abnormalities
- 3 levels of consent
- Pre-op blood work to make sure all organs are healthy and can safely tolerate anesthesia
- Pre-op exam to check for any newly developed heart or other physical conditions
- Continuous medical and nursing monitoring both before and during sedation/anesthesia and throughout the recovery
- Continuous IV Fluids during both the procedure and recovery period
- Text message updates throughout your pet’s surgery day
- Courtesy toe nail trim
- Complete discharge instructions and a personalized follow-up call the next day to check on your pet
- And, of course, dedicated and continuously-educated doctors and tech staff to ensure that your pet is getting the best and most modern care