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WHAT'S NEW
February 2016
Monthly Newsletter
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NATIONAL VETERINARY DENTAL MONTH IS HERE
(AND WE'VE EXTENDED IT TO MARCH 15TH)
THIS MONTH'S FOCUS ON DENTAL HEALTH INCLUDES:
- SPECIAL PRICING ON ALL PET TEETH CLEANING
- HOME CARE INSTRUCTIONS
- HOME CARE PRODUCTS
TO OBTAIN SPECIAL PRICING YOU MUST CALL BEFORE MARCH 15TH, 2016
CLICK HERE TO SKIP DIRECTLY TO PRICING INFORMATION
ORAL HEALTH INFORMATION FOR PET OWNERS
FLIP THE LIP: CONSIDERING YOUR PET'S TEETH
(Photocredit: SonofErat via Wikimedia Commons) |
Go ahead. Lift up your pet's upper lip. Opening the mouth is unnecessary. Just lift up the lip and see how the teeth look. Are they white and clean with smooth pink gums or are there brownish deposits of tartar extending from the gums halfway up the teeth. If the tartar situation is advanced, there may be teeth that are completely encased in tartar. How is your pet's breath?
Periodontal disease is significant in 85% of dogs and cats over age 3 years.
This means that there is a good chance your pet needs a teeth cleaning.
Most pets need their teeth cleaned annually.
Because teeth cleaning is considered part of pet ownership,
it is covered under pet insurance wellness plans.
Click here for details.
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ORAL HEALTH AFFECTS THE ENTIRE BODY
Plaque is the mixture of saliva, bacteria, and food particles that bathes each tooth. We brush it away every time we brush our teeth. If we don't brush our teeth, the plaque mineralizes into tartar in a matter of hours, usually around the neck of the tooth (where the tooth emerges from the gum line). If the tartar is not cleaned away, it will continue to deposit on the tooth and destroy the attachment of the tooth causing pain and loss of chewing function.
But all those bacteria in the mouth seed the rest of the body whenever the pet chews. The immune system handles it pretty well but all that infectious material is looking for a place to lodge elsewhere in the body. Alternatively, the infection travels the length of the tooth root and weakens the bone leading to broken jaw, chronic nasal discharge and/or sneezing.
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 (Photocredit: Morguefile.com) |
WHY IS GENERAL ANESTHESIA NEEDED?
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Before Teeth Cleaning
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After Teeth Cleaning
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To properly clean the pet's mouth, full access to all the teeth is needed. The pet will need to allow very delicate exploration under the gum line with pointed instruments, flushing with water, and the sound of the ultrasonic scaler and low speed polisher, just as you do when you see your own dentist. Unfortunately, we can't simply explain this to your dog or cat and expect them to hold their mouth open and allow this kind of manipulation. General anesthesia allows for painless extraction of rotten teeth, fear-free cleaning and polishing, and thorough examination and cleaning of each individual tooth. Here are the six steps involved in professional cleaning:
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The teeth are scaled with an ultrasonic scaler similar to the scaler your own dentist uses.
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2.
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Once tartar is removed from the teeth, the periodontal space (the space where the tooth and gum meet) is probed and any debris containing pockets are measured for depth.
These pockets are cleaned and the tooth roots are cleaned with a hand instrument called a dental curet.
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4.
5.
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The teeth are polished with prophy paste the same way your teeth are polished at the dentist.
A protective covering of OraVet® paste is applied to prevent plaque from forming on the newly cleaned tooth. This lasts a week or so. Any periodontal pockets are filled with an antibiotic gel.
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A complete dental chart is made listing any abnormalities found on each tooth individually. |
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General anesthesia is performed with intravenous fluid support, a dedicated anesthesia monitoring technicians, a custom protocol for each patient based on individual blood test and examination results. Respect anesthesia but do not fear it. Do not allow your pet's mouth to become painful or infected because you fear it.
Still worried?
Read what the AVMA says:
www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Whenyourpetneedsanesthesia.aspx
WHAT CAN I DO AT HOME TO MAINTAIN MY PET'S ORAL HEALTH
Nothing works as well as brushing. The tooth brush picks out particles of food and debris from the gum line and cleans plaque off the tooth. If this is done at least three times weekly, a spectacular amount of tartar deposition can be completely prevented. Special brushes are made to fit the angles of the pet's mouth and special flavored tooth pastes are available.
How to brush your pet's teeth:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB3GIAgrTPE
If brushing simply can't be worked into your schedule or your pet is not amenable to it, there are special diets that are made to scrape tartar from teeth, special treats and disinfecting rinses. There is a weekly product called Oravet which can be applied to the outside of the teeth to prevent plaque from attaching.
Click here to see our home care products.
SPECIAL PRICING FROM FEBRUARY 1ST TO MARCH 15TH
25% OFF PRE-DENTAL LABWORK, GENERAL ANESTHESIA AND TEETH CLEANING
- mini panels for younger pets
- complete blood panel/urinalysis for older pets
- heart disease screening blood test when appropriate (Now recommended for all cats)
GENERAL ANESTHESIA INCLUDING:
- intravenous fluids
- pulse oximetry
- EKG
- blood pressure monitoring
- dedicated anesthesia technician throughout the procedure
SIX STEP TEETH CLEANING
- ultrasonic and hand scaling
- periodontal pocket measurement
- root planing as needed
- polishing
- disinfection and Oravet® gel application
- complete dental chart
AND A FINGER BRUSH/TOOTHPASTE SAMPLE FROM ENZADENT
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- SPECIALS START AT $270.00 ($210.00 IF ADDED TO ANOTHER ANESTHETIC PROCEDURE)
- MOST DOGS $320.25
- MOST CATS $338.25
- MOST OLDER PETS $496.50
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HOW TO PAY EVEN LESS WITH PET INSURANCE WELLNESS COVERAGE
There are many pet insurance companies but most do not offer "Wellness coverage". Wellness coverage refers to services that are an expected part of pet ownership: vaccinations, flea/parasite protection products, microchipping, spay/neuter, and - yes - teeth cleaning. If you have been considering pet insurance and are looking for a plan that covers wellness expenses in addition to accident/illness insurance, this may be a good time to sign up and have the insurance company pay for your pet's dental care. There are two companies we would like you to consider:
| EMBRACE PET INSURANCE |
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NATIONWIDE PET INSURANCE |
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- Sign up for an accident/illness plan with any deductible you choose.
- Add a wellness plan which reimburses you for $250, $450, or $650 per year in wellness services.
- You will then have insurance for future illness or injuries your pet may suffer PLUS enough wellness insurance to cover teeth cleaning.
- There is no deductible for wellness services with Embrace; you simply get $250, $450, or $650 per year for whatever wellness services you want.
- There is no waiting period for wellness insurance. This means you can sign up the morning of your pet's teeth cleaning and they will be cutting your reimbursement check potentially for the full amount you paid as soon as the next day).
How much you pay depends on the accident illness plan you pick and how much wellness coverage you want. You can pick your own options and see exactly how much they will cost at:
www.embracepetinsurance.com
Plus when you sign up, you get a $25 credit on your hospital account with us
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- Sign up the plan called "Whole Pet with Wellness" and choose either an annual $100 or $250 deductible.
- Wait 2 weeks for service to begin.
- You will get 90% reimbursement for future illness and wellness services with no maximum.
- This means when your pet has teeth cleaning, you pay either $100 or $250 (depending on what you picked) and they reimburse you for 90% of the rest.
- They also reimburse you for 90% of any other services you have done for the rest of the year.
- But you have to wait 2 weeks after you sign up before it starts.
For details on how much it costs, visit:
www.petinsurance.com
as pricing will vary depending on your pet's age, breed, etc.
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DON'T FORGET TO "LIKE" US ON FACEBOOK SO YOU CAN GET TIPS AND LINKS
TO HELP BRING YOUR PET THE BEST POSSIBLY CARE.
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