Little smiling pug sitting on a sidewalk in a summer park.

Doing Pet Dental Care Right

Is dental care part of your pet's daily health routine? If not, now is a good time to start. Pets need regular checkups and teeth cleanings to stave off plaque buildup, infection, tooth loss, and other health problems. Without consistent care, pets can develop dental disease as early as age 2, which is why we advocate for a preventive dental approach, which includes oral checkups, teeth cleanings, dental X-rays, and more.

Keep your pet's mouth healthy. Schedule a dental exam for your pet!

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Prevent Dental Disease in Pets

The best cure for dental disease is to prevent it altogether. However, if you see any of the following signs in your pet, you might want to schedule a dental exam sooner than later:

  • Bad breath
  • Swollen, bright red gums
  • Yellow and brown residue encrusted along the gum line
  • Excessive drooling
  • Dropping food while eating
  • Eating less
  • Increased irritability, less active than usual
  • Pawing at their face and mouth
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The vets and staff are second to none. They treat all of our animals like their own. In addition, we are always done super quickly! They are punctual but offer the best and most thorough care possible. I never feel like my questions don’t matter! We work primarily with Dr. Journell and she’s the best!

- Joanna M

Dr. Journell is seriously the best. She kept our baby bear happy and strong for two years after he was diagnosed with heart failure. She understood what was right for him and what was to much for his body to handle. My husband and I love all the staff as well, always friendly and understanding.

- Casey J

The friendliest staff, cleanest facilities & competent, caring vets. My dog is as excited to come here as he is to go to the dog park, which makes my life much easier than if he was nervous and scared and I had to drag him there.

- Megan C

Dental Care for Maximum Benefits

One easy way to see if your pet needs dental care? “Flip” their lip to check their teeth for anything unusual, like discoloration and swollen gums. If you see anything off, just give us a call and we can provide recommendations for the next step in their treatment.

We’re proud to have technology on hand that allows us to go in-depth with dental treatments for our patients, including the following services while your pet is under anesthesia:

  • Thorough dental examinations that include individual tooth checks and probing the pockets around the teeth for signs of infection
  • Scaling each tooth (above and under the gum line) to clean away plaque and tartar buildup
  • Polishing the teeth smooth to reduce plaque buildup on their surfaces
  • Checking for tooth decay and possible abscesses
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How to Improve Your Pet’s At-Home Dental Care

If you can, try to brush your pet's teeth as often as possible to prevent food residue from building up and turning into plaque. And if you have a puppy or kitten, even better! You can start getting your young pet used to future brushing of their adult teeth by having their mouth looked into and gently probed with fingers or a toothbrush to turn this practice into a healthy habit.

However, if brushing is not an option, diets can also support your pet's oral health. Currently, both Animal Hospital of Lewisville veterinarians have their own dogs on the dental diet! Dental wipes, dental chews, and water additives are also available for you pet.

In addition, your pet should see their veterinarian twice yearly for check-ups to determine if a future dental cleaning is needed.