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Maintaining a pet’s dental care not only promotes a fresh smile but also benefits their overall health and well-being. According to the 

, dental disease is one of the most common medical conditions veterinarians confront—with over 80% of dogs over age 3 having active dental disease.

To help curtail this ongoing threat and to safeguard your canine patients' health, 

 suggests keeping these 3 natural dental care products on your radar to share with clients.

#1. Pure and Natural Pet Organic Dental Solutions Canine Tooth Gel with Eco-Friendly Bamboo Toothbrush

This canine tooth gel is USDA-certified organic and Leaping Bunny Certified, plus it is cruelty-free and made in the United States. The main ingredients include coconut oil, olive leaf extract, fennel extract, sweet potato, cinnamon powder, and kelp extract. It's sold with an eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush available in 2 sizes: small and large.

These toothbrush wipes offer a quick, convenient method for cleaning dogs’ teeth. Each wipe is pre-moistened and includes a pocket for slipping your index and middle finger in to easily clean the surface of the teeth and gums. Made with natural enzymes and containing no parabens, alcohol, or latex, these wipes are also cruelty-free, vegan, and made in the United States. They feature a fresh peppermint smell and come in a resealable package containing 65 textured wipes.

This USDA-certified organic dental gel is made from a combination of organic coconut oil, sweet potato, and cinnamon. It is free of xylitol, chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, glutens, fluoride, parabens, detergents, carrageenan, and synthetics. It can be bought alone or as a kit including a case and toothbrush for puppies or adult dogs based on toothbrush size and bristle firmness. The brush features an easy-to-hold rubbery grip with nubs and soft bristles.

Articles

Here are a few of the latest natural canine dental products that can help safeguard your patients' health and prevent them from developing harmful oral diseases and conditions.

3 natural dog dental care products 

The mouth harbors several diseases and harmful conditions that can put your beloved veterinary patients at risk. To help, we've selected 3 informative articles that are chock full of pet dental care tips and tricks ranging from diagnosing, treating, and preventing various oral diseases including tooth resorption and periodontal disease. 

From the current best practices for fighting halitosis to preventing periodontal disease in cats—there's something for everyone. Happy reading!

Current best practices for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of halitosis in cats

: According to Jan Bellows, DVM, DAVDC, DABVP, FAVD, halitosis in cats is an offensive odor permeating from the oral cavity and often originates from plaque and tartar on felines' teeth. Discover how to diagnose, treat, and prevent this oral disease, plus some resources to help. 

Classifying tooth resorption in cats and dogs

 Although tooth resorption is a common disease in feline and canine patients, it still manages to puzzle the veterinary industry. Learn more about this complex disease so that you can elevate your patient care and safety. 

Periodontal disease in cats: Current best practices for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

: Here are the current best practices to help you diagnose, treat, and prevent periodontal disease in your feline patients at your practice.

Brush up on your veterinary dentistry knowledge of oral diseases by learning about several effective diagnosing, treating, and preventative solutions.

3 must-reads on oral diseases

One way to make your veterinary clinic stand out from the crowd, according to Jill Clark, DVM, CEO and founder of 

, Clark discussed IGNITE’s upcoming launch of the Veterinary Receptionist Certificate of Excellence (VRCE) program, a brand-new veterinary industry certification for customer service representatives (CSRs) operating in veterinary clinics. Clark highlights the initial spark behind this program, how it will benefit practices, and more. 

“[The VRCE] is specifically aimed at general practices and is [comprised of] 32 courses that are all about an hour [to] an hour and a half apiece, but over 40 hours of learning. It has checklists, scripts on how to communicate with your clients on different topics, documents, a 50-page workbook for [professoinals] to fill out that really helps the CSRs—our front desk teams—to customize it into their particular practice experience,” Clark tells dvm360 staff.

She also touched on how practice managers and owners are often busy and usually don't have enough time in their day-to-day to effectively train CSRs. Clark elucidates how the VRCE can help mitigate this and give time back to both managers and owners while ensuring the front-desk staff is efficiently educated. 

“I just really think it’s going to give the average general practice a way to enroll their folks in a program and have that program go on without them having to be the teacher and without them having to come up with the time or knowledge to set aside to do that,” says Clark.

Watch the full video below to learn more about Clark’s comprehensive training program, plus the benefits of a fully trained front desk staff. 

Videos

CEO and founder Dr Jill Clark highlights how her global veterinary learning company’s latest certification training program for CSRs can help expand front desk services, save time, bolster client relations and more.


IGNITE launches new CSRs training program to save time and revamp customer service

As July comes to a close and we enter the final full month of summer, we will continue to deliver timely and engaging veterinary news and industry hot topics right to your fingertips.

, plus a fun fact about each of these noteworthy veterinary professionals.

Watch Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Steve Dale, CABC, discuss pet dental health and why teeth cleaning twice a year is essential in this informative 

 celebrates exceptional veterinary professionals and their achievements. Learn more about it and how to nominate others. 

 co-star, shares what it’s like to practice veterinary medicine on television and his mission to diversify the field.

 with topical therapeutics for a range of skin problems.

Not sure how to best navigate the pet dental discussion? These 

 will help boost your confidence when it comes to having those sometimes challenging dental care talks with clients.

Stay tuned on social media and dvm360.com for more veterinary news.

News wrap-up: This week's veterinary headlines, plus our new editorial advisory board members

When it comes to educating clients about their pet's dental health, finding a way to initiate the conversation can be tricky. According to an interview featuring Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, and Steve Dale, CABC, one way to help clients recognize the importance of dental health is by encouraging them to get their pet's teeth cleaned 

 twice a year. (This can also help them learn about preventative maintenance.)

"One place in which things can be found—although x-rays and radiographs are [really helpful]—is inside the mouth. Pet parents are not aware of what is going on [in the mouth] in the first place," says Dale. 

"I don't think once a year even does it. I think twice a year because changes can happen and they do happen so quickly," he adds.

View the full interview below to learn more tips on educating clients about dental health, plus some resources that can help.

Here are a few tips and tricks for broaching the topic of dental care to your clients from Dr Adam Christman and behavioral expert Steve Dale. 

Educating your clients on dental health: The first step

Veterinary practices are busier than ever, which is a good problem to have. But do you ever feel like you’re choosing between practicing high-quality medicine and simply managing your case load? Advances like point-of-care testing and digital radiography can be lifesavers, because they expand your capabilities and improve efficiency. But when making these purchases, it’s important that your choices fit your practice’s needs and help you maintain the high clinical standards your clients and patients deserve.

While veterinarians are busy juggling time management, patient care, and other aspects of practice, the demand for services can compete with the need to offer timely, affordable care. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is just one example of how these goals can be pursued simultaneously. If you still think of AI as science fiction, you may be surprised to know that it’s already changing human medicine; and now, AI offers many of the same advantages to veterinarians.

How can artificial intelligence change how you practice?

Through AI platforms, computers can learn how to mimic human thought processes and cognitive functions, but with increased speed and learning capacity. Artificial intelligence has several subdisciplines, including machine learning, unsupervised learning, and deep learning. The versatility of AI makes it useful in a variety of medical disciplines. In human medicine, AI has already found applications in areas such as drug design, anesthesiology, cardiology, radiology, oncology, and infectious disease management.

In general veterinary practice, protocols for vaccination, parasite prevention, and many aspects of wellness care are well-established. But, comparable models for treating sick or injured patients are less standardized. AI bridges this gap, by creating protocols and algorithms for the care of sick and injured patients. In doing so, AI brings advanced technology to veterinary practices. It also allows veterinarians to focus more on patient care, by providing reliable, consistent, transparent answers in a timely fashion to clinicians and pet owners. One exciting example of AI that’s helping veterinarians right now is a platform called SignalPET.

SignalPET is a patented software platform that uses machine learning and AI to examine and interpret radiographs. SignalPET’s advanced technology was created using the largest database of annotated veterinary radiographs in the world. It was developed to “think” as a clinician thinks when analyzing information, distinguish normal radiographic anatomy from abnormal findings, and recognize 85% of common radiographic irregularities in dogs and cats. Most common causes of coughing, lameness, vomiting and diarrhea are readily discerned and interpreted. SignalPET calculates vertebral heart score and can describe things like pulmonary patterns, bone fractures, and organomegaly. SignalPET also continuously expands its knowledge base, adds new tests, and continues learning. Every time a user takes a radiograph, SignalPET’s machine learning system improves, which helps veterinarians everywhere. 

Two other AI platforms that can help transform your practice capabilities are SignalRAY and SignalSMILE. is a radiology platform that detailed. Thorax, abdomen, and bone and joint panels are available in minutes, providing you and your clients with fast, accurate diagnostic results. We all know that dental radiology is an essential tool for detecting periodontal disease and other oral pathologies that can adversely affect your patients’ health. SignalSMILE expands your practice’s capabilities by rapidly identifying dental anomalies, and generating a client-facing report that informs pet owners about their pet’s oral health. This helps your veterinary staff recommend the best follow up care for each patient.

What are the main benefits of using AI on your radiographs?

: SignalPET doesn’t require any new software or hardware, and works with your current digital radiology equipment and workflow. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is accessible from any device and technical support is always available. It also integrates seamlessly with Keystone Omni’s platform, further streamlining radiographic capabilities.

: Radiology reviews take time. In some cases, results aren’t available for days. Artificial intelligence provides results within 10 minutes. This allows decisions to be made promptly, so treatment planning and other aspects of patient care aren’t delayed. SignalPET’s reliable, point-of-care technology streamlines workflows for veterinary team members. It also means that pet owners get results quickly, so they can work with clinicians to make timely treatment choices for their pet.

CASE: Henry (4 year-old, spayed, female, Domestic Shorthair)

Henry, a 4-year-old spayed female domestic shorthaired cat presented to the clinic limping. Her veterinarian says he initially couldn’t find anything wrong with her. After glancing at her x-rays, he gave Henry a steroid shot and sent her home with antibiotics. However, when he opened up SignalPET later, he saw that the system had identified a hairline fracture in her right rear leg and circled it, something he and his colleague had both missed. He called Henry’s owner and explained what was found. The precision of this tool allowed this pet to get the best possible care and provide transparent answers to the client.

: SignalPET adds value for clients, which helps bond them to your practice. It’s affordable and easy to use, and its AI technology is less expensive than paying for radiology consultants to review images, which reduces the cost of patient care at your practice.

: Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a consistent, objective, second set of eyes at your practice all day, every day, to support you and your staff when reviewing radiographs? SignalPET provides that, and more. For inexperienced clinicians or new graduates who need to build confidence reading radiographs, AI levels the playing field so that every radiograph receives an unbiased analysis. Regardless of experience level, anyone can suffer from tunnel vision or subjectivity, overlook a subtle radiographic abnormality, feel rushed to review radiographs quickly, or simply become distracted by other events happening at the practice at any given moment. SignalPET addresses those challenges by consistently and accurately reviewing every radiograph, 

: Any-one who’s ever taken radiographs knows that the films aren’t always perfect. Sometimes patients move or aren’t positioned perfectly at the moment of exposure. Even “normal” anatomy has inherent variations (eg, normal chest radiographs for a Bulldog, cat, and Greyhound will look different). AI recognizes these normal variations when deciphering radiographic images.

SignalPET’s functionality facilitates identification of pathology and efficiently gets clinicians to the next step, which is deciding whether further diagnostics are warranted, and choosing how to best care for the patient.

Decreases reliance on external radiographic review

: Some veterinarians consult with board-certified radiologists to interpret films and suggest a path forward. Normally, the clinician chooses which radiographs are submitted for review, and which ones aren’t. While there’s still a role for this, AI can help mitigate the need for external consults, for a fraction of the cost, only $10/study. Following examination of radiographs, if a veterinarian still wants a consult and review with a radiologist, SignalPET allows them to easily share test results and images. Having SignalPET at your practice offers the best of both worlds: a point-of-care platform that consistently and objectively reviews every radiograph, and an option to consult with a radiologist when you decide it’s necessary.

: By using SignalPET to read all the practice’s radiographs, every patient benefits from a higher standard of care. Instead of deciding which patients’ radiographs will be submitted for review by a radiologist and which ones won’t, offering the service to all pets ensures a complete review each time. This consistency promotes better patient care, while safeguarding against user subjectivity and clinician fatigue.

SignalPET’s software also generates a client-friendly radiology report that can be printed or emailed to pet owners for their medical records. This user-friendly report demonstrates the significance of the radiographic study, so the clients can see the value of what they paid for. This enhances customer engagement and satisfaction with the practice, which translates to increased compliance with your recommendations.

So, how can you get started with SignalPET? 

If you’re interested in seeing this AI radiology technology at your practice, SignalPET makes it easy for you. By signing up for a 1-week free trial, you can start getting your instant test results on all your x-rays and see the value first-hand.

The bottom line: What’s in your future?

 In-house and point-of-care diagnostics have become commonplace at many veterinary practices. Twenty-five years ago, it was probably hard to believe how heavily clinicians would rely on these advances, which have become our new normal in many ways. In a similar way, AI has already been incorporated into human medicine, and it appears to be part of the future for veterinary practice, too. 

Today, AI is already helping veterinarians improve efficiency and consistency when performing radiographic studies. 

AI innovations like SignalPET and SMILE are already taking veterinary practices to the next level, and represent the future of the industry. What’s in your future?

Noorbakhsh-Sabet N, Zand R, Zhang Y, et al. Artificial intelligence transforms the future of health care. 

Jiang F, Jiang Y, Zhi H, et al. Artificial intelligence in healthcare: past, present and future. 

Learn how these artificial intelligence platforms can help advance your veterinary practice's capabilities. 