There's no getting around this one. If you want your pet to live a healthy life, they need to have a healthy mouth!

There is now plenty of evidence to prove that dental disease is linked to other problems such as heart disease, so it is absolutely essential we keep an eye on your pet's oral health.

Dental disease strikes when plaque and tartar accumulate on the teeth and lead to infection of the gums. Bacteria from this infection can travel in the blood stream around the body and can impact the heart as well other organs such as the lungs and kidneys. 

The good news is that many of these problems can be reversed if dental hygiene is improved - and that's where we come in!

If we detect dental disease we will recommend a dental procedure to help remove the plaque and tartar and resolve any infection. We will also remove any diseased teeth that might be causing your pet significant pain.

Here are our top tips for preventing dental disease:

• Get your pet's mouth checked by us. We will be able to spot problems early - this is essential to good dental care. A check at least once a year is vital.
• Get your pet eating the correct food. A premium quality dry diet is essential for good oral health. There are excellent dental diets available and they really work so ask us for the best recommendation.
• Brush your pet's teeth. This is considered gold standard - just make sure you use a pet-safe toothpaste.

We recommend a dental check up at least once a year. Regular checks will help to protect your pet's overall health and might just save their life!

When it comes to your pet's oral health, you should always turn to us for advice.

The answer is NO..A dental procedure without an anaesthetic is likely to be painful, deliver inadequate treatment and cause profound fear.

Without an anaesthetic we cannot perform a thorough examination of your pet's mouth, and there is simply no way we can diagnose or treat dental problems while your pet is awake. When it comes to gold standard dental care, we can't just ask your pet to sit back and 'open wide.'

It's important to realise that a thorough dental examination requires a patient to be very still for procedures such as radiographs and probing (which may also be painful)

An anaesthetised patient allows us to look for any root problems and potential sources of pain. We can clean under the gums, which cannot be done correctly if your pet is awake. Removing only the calculus that is visible on the tooth is ineffective because it does not fix the source of the problem or enable healing and reversal of the dental disease.

Although some patients will appear to tolerate being restrained for a consious dental procedure, these animals have often 'frozen' and withdrawn into themselves to deal with the fear.

Anaesthesia-free dentistry can potentially mask serious underlying disease and can cause your pet unnecessary pain. You can read more about this on the Australian Veterinary Association website.

If it's been more than a year since your pet's last dental check, please give us a call.

This video will have you laughing and gasping all at once! Check out this crazy dog taking a mud bath.