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Only after the patient has been anesthetized can a complete and thorough oral evaluation be successfully performed. 33

Clients should be informed that groomers and others should never be allowed to scale a pet’s teeth. 

Oral health should be discussed at the first appointment and every visit thereafter.

The client should be told that their pet needs a comprehensive, anesthetized oral exam and dental radiographs in order to perform a preventive cleaning or dental-periodontal therapy.

It is important to communicate with pet owners the importance of dental disease prevention strategies, beginning at the first visit and then throughout the patient’s life stages.

Written and verbal client communication is fundamental to the maintenance of pet oral health. 

The concept that a pet is suffering from oral pain, infection, and inflammation that may not be apparent but is affecting their quality of life is a reality that may not always be fully appreciated by the veterinary profession and often not understood by the pet owning public.

The phrase “food be thy medicine” can apply to preventive dental healthcare. Commercial diets specifically designed to retard the accumulation of plaque and calculus are especially helpful if the owner is unable or unwilling to brush a pet’s teeth. 

Not only is oral health a fundamental aspect of overall pet health and wellbeing, but veterinary dentistry is now considered a standard component of companion animal medicine. 

A thorough history of patient health should always include an evaluation and update on systemic maladies as well as an evaluation and review of oral hygiene efforts performed by the pet owner.