NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 5, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A national service specializing in mobile anesthesia-free pet dental services is working hand in hand with vet clinics across the country to provide more complete care for pets. According to the veterinary staff of Animal Dental Care, this service offers an extra level of options for clinics that may not normally provide dental care without anesthesia. "Since some animals cannot tolerate anesthetics due to an allergy or other health condition, our services make routine yet essential dental cleanings possible for pets that might not otherwise be able to receive them," notes one staffer.
The clinic stresses that professionally administered dental hygiene is just as important for animals as it is for humans. Professional animal teeth cleaning, along with home care such as regular brushings and the use of chew toys, is recommend by veterinarians as a necessary measure for removing tartar buildup.
Additionally, routine dental wellness evaluations give trained personnel an opportunity to study the mouth for signs of tooth damage, gum disease or oral cancers, allowing for diagnosis and treatment of these conditions as needed. Unfortunately, many pets cannot tolerate the anesthetic commonly used during teeth cleaning and dental evaluation.
Advancing age, allergies to the drugs used, and conditions such as chronic heart, kidney or liver disease can make traditional veterinary anesthetics dangerous to administer to affected pets. These animals may require anesthesia-free cleanings and evaluations. "Unfortunately, many clinics are not trained or experienced in the practice of anesthesia-free dental care," notes a vet tech who works for the mobile service. "That's where we can step in to help." The service's veterinary dental hygienists are specially trained in techniques to make pets feel at ease throughout the procedures with no need for anesthesia.
The mobile service travels to vet clinics unequipped with this particular expertise. The visiting non-anesthetic dental technician (NAD) works slowly and gently to win the patient's confidence and acceptance. With the pet thus reassured, the hygienist carefully removes tartar both above and below the gum line to reduce the risk of tooth and gum disease. The "bedside manner" employed by these practitioners commonly results in calm, compliant pets who do not object to the procedures.
Staffers providing the service freely admit that the technique is not compatible with every pet or every dental condition. "Some pets will never accept anesthesia-free dentistry, while animals with broken teeth, stomatitis, tooth decay or severe gingivitis will most likely require anesthesia for the procedures required," says the staff. "In a great many cases, however, an animal teeth cleaning goes smoothly without any complaint from the patient. That's a huge benefit for pets who cannot handle anesthetics."
Animal Dental Care has been providing anesthesia-free dog dental care and cat dental care since 1992. The pet dental service currently works with a network of more than 300 veterinarians nationwide.