Dental care for your dog is equally important as it is to human species. Regular brushing will help prevent the buildup of calculus and debris on your dog’s teeth but before that you need to make your dog used to it by having his mouth touched, making sure to touch the lips, open the mouth, and touch the teeth in a calm and relaxing way for about five minutes each day until your pup is used to being handled in this way so that he does not create any problems in performing any kind of preventive dental care in future.
The need for dental care increases with your dog’s age. To get the best result you need to ensure proper dental health for your dog at an early stage. Never use human toothpaste but use toothpaste and brush especially manufactured for them. To get your dog used to having his teeth brushed, start rubbing his teeth with a cotton ball dabbed with toothpaste, then follow using finger brush and finally regular dog toothbrush as they gradually grow up.
Even with proper preventive measures, most dogs are recommended a dental cleaning from your veterinarian just like human. Dental cleaning should not be missed out in any way because dental disease carry harmful bacteria that can pass through into the bloodstream causing potentially serious problems such as kidney and heart valves infections.
The technique of dental cleaning of your dog performed by your veterinarian is much like a human dental cleaning; which follows with several steps like thorough examination of teeth to determine if any teeth need to be pulled or repaired, x-rays of the teeth to find any cracks or diseased teeth but prior to any treatment your dog will be tranquilized by anesthetist. Dental cleaning is performed by a trained member of the veterinary staff after collecting the overall report with precise care which begins with scaling the teeth to remove the tartar above and below the gum line with the help of both the hand instruments and ultrasonic scaling equipment which is then followed by polishing and making the teeth smooth preventing plaque from adhering to them. Fluoride treatment is also performed to strengthen the enamel and prevent plaque from forming. Root canals and other intensive dental work is also performed to help prevent bacterial infection by most veterinarians. Therefore it is very vital for you to follow your veterinarian’s advice to keep your dog’s teeth healthy.
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