Stay focused on dental care

Just because Pet Dental month has passed doesn't mean you should stop pushing good dental care for patients. Use these facts from www.petdental.com on a Web site, in a newsletter, or on a sign in the front of your practice to educate clients about the importance of dental exams and comprehensive care for their pets' choppers:

• Oral disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem for pets. And it isn't just older pets either: 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3. Pet owners should watch for bad breath, changes in eating or chewing habits, pawing at the face or mouth and depression.

• Periodontitis, an infection caused by periodontal disease, can lead to serious problems including infection of the heart, liver, or kidneys if it enters the bloodstream. Clients should look for receding or red, swollen, and tender gums; bleeding; pain; and bad breath.
• Cats can develop painful cervical line lesions. In fact, 28 percent of cats have at least one in their lifetime.