Monday, September 17, 2012

Secret #48- the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth

My comments on Reader's Digest article "50 Secrets Your Vet Won't Tell You"


"If the plaque sprays and dental water additives really worked, none of us would be telling you to brush your pet's teeth."

Amen. The sprays might make the tartar flake off easier- and that is a good thing, but nothing beats the mechanical removal of plaque, i.e. brushing. Daily brushing is best, though I tell folks it does not have to be very formal- wiping the outsides of the tooth surfaces with a towel can work fine.

Also- pretty much every dog is going to need a proper, vet-done dental cleaning under general anesthetic at some point in his or her life. Non-anaesthetic scaling of teeth doe not compare, and does not replace the ability to carefully examine each tooth, radiograph if needed, and perform extractions when needed on a compliant (asleep) patient.

Enjoy your pets!

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