The Aim Of A Veterinary Dental

A very common presentation at our veterinary dental consultation is whether a particular tooth can be  or treated or should it be extracted?

A vet dentists  objective is NOT to necessarily preserve teeth. For the following reasons

Pet dogs and cats do NOT need teeth as their hunting ancestors did. They do not need to chew raw meat from a carcass.  They do not need to defend territory or breeding rights.

The food is presented in the bowl and often ready to swallow.

What pet dogs and cats  need and deserve after a veterinary Dentist visit  is a mouth free of pain and infection!

Our  observation is that veterinarians  have a tendency to not extract as many teeth as they should as often veterinary dental extractions are difficult and time consuming.  Many pets  tend to have teeth left in place when owner and animal would both be better served if these teeth were removed sooner than later.

A mouth free of pain and infection is vastly more important than a mouth full of teeth.

Some teeth, namely the canines and largest check teeth  are much more valuable teeth and often worth saving.

Veterinary Dentistry  in Burwood  plans on providing our patient with a mouth free of pain and infection and a mouth that has a reasonable chance of being maintained (with reasonable ongoing effort) free of pain and infection for as long as the animal lives.

(Based in part  on information by Veterinary Dental Specialist:  Dr  Fraser A. Hale, DVM, Fellow of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry)