The health concerns associated with long-standing periodontal disease are well documented in both animals and people. Chronic infection, pain and the potential for the more widespread systemic disease are all very real possibilities in the absence of regular dental care.
The reality, however, is that preventative dental care in pets is often challenging for pet owners. Time, motivation, and lack of cooperation on the part of the pet are just some of the reasons why people find it difficult to brush their pet’s teeth. Even with periodic dental cleanings under anesthesia, the condition of pet’s teeth will deteriorate without routine preventative dental care. There just is no alternative.
Professional Outpatient Preventative Dentistry (POPD) is a procedure in which a dog or cat’s teeth are examined, cleaned, scaled, and polished without sedation or anesthesia. The procedure is performed on pets who have been evaluated by a veterinarian and determined to be good candidates based on their dental health as well as their overall health and temperament.
This is different than the pet store or the groomer.
There are many companies offering non-anesthetic dental cleanings through pet stores, groomers, etc. These services are performed without veterinary supervision and are often only cosmetic in that they do not scale beneath the gum line. Additionally, no records of dental pathology are made during these procedures, and there are also no guidelines as to the training or skill level of the technician. Technically, the procedure is illegal according to the California Veterinary Practice Act.
Holistic Veterinary Care has partnered with Pet Dental Services (PDS), a company with 10 years of experience using POPD to help pets. Their eleven-step process provides evaluation, cleaning, documentation, and pet owner education to promote safety and efficacy. PDS is the only service whose procedures have been proven effective in a published scientific trial. For these reasons, we are proud to offer POPD to our eligible patients.
What patients are eligible?
All pets will be evaluated by one of our veterinarians prior to scheduling POPD. In order for POPD to be the most effective, a pet’s teeth should be in “relatively” good condition to begin with. Animals who have recently had a full dental cleaning or young pets with early signs of periodontal disease are often excellent candidates. POPD is a great tool to help keep teeth healthy and minimize the progression of periodontal disease. While tooth brushing and home dental care is still very important, POPD is one more tool in the toolbox to help keep teeth clean.
Comprehensive Dental Care is a Process
Like most complex things in life, there is no one solution to dental health. Ideally, pets should have their teeth brushed regularly (daily), chew on appropriate toys/treats, use approved dental care products, receive POPD at appropriate intervals, and periodically have full anesthetic dental cleanings.
To be clear, POPD is part of a larger dental care plan. In almost every pet, periodic anesthetic dental cleanings are necessary. Our veterinarians will help guide you in the determination of how best to care for your pet’s teeth for a lifetime of good health.