All About Pet Dentistry & Oravet

Since February is National Pet Dental Health Awareness Month (Boy, what a mouthful!), we wanted to give you, our readers, a little bit of insight into a great product we use here at Park Avenue Animal Hospital.  The month of February is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of dental hygine in pets.  Pet owners can achieve good dental health in many ways, outlined in our previous dentistry article.  The benefits of dental cleaning and maintaining a healthy mouth vastly outweigh any risk or expense involved. In order to ensure that a professional dental cleaning is as effective as it possibly can be, the Doctors and Staff recommend Oravet.

Oravet is the weekly plaque-prevention gel that’s proven to reduce the amount of plaque and tartar that develops on teeth over time.  Oravet is a sealant that is applied to the teeth in order to maintain the smooth, clean surface of the teeth, and prevent plaque and tartar from building up on the healthy enamel. It is a soft, waxy substance that acts as a barrier between your pet’s healthy teeth and the plaque and tartar that can destroy gums and act as a gateway to disease.

Park Avenue Animal Hospital averages about a dozen dental cleanings each week on dogs and cats of all sizes and ages.  Dental cleaning, also called dental prophylaxis,  is an anesthetic procedure and requires your pet to be dropped off in the morning.  With the majority of cases, your pet can be picked up the same day. Fasting is required the night before any anesthetic procedure, and pre-anesthetic blood work may be required, based on your pet's health and medical history.

While under anesthesia, your pet’s teeth will be cleaned using an ultrasonic scaler, then polished to a pearly white shine. The doctor and technician will investigate the entire mouth for signs of dental disease and sometimes teeth need to be pulled.  Rest assured, your pet will feel much better without a diseased tooth in his mouth, than he ever would if it was left behind!  Your pet will also receive his or her first treatment of Oravet.  We will send home a supply of Oravet that you can apply at home, to continue to maintain a healthy mouth.

Oravet is SIMPLE! Once the first application is in place (Which we will have already taken care of for you!), all you have to do is apply a small amount to your pet’s teeth ONCE A WEEK! Don’t worry about covering every tooth, because Oravet binds to itself like a magnet.

Your Oravet take-home pack contains eight containers of Oravet paste and eight applicators. Each container may last several treatments, depending on the size of your pet. To use Oravet, place the unopened container in warm water for a few seconds to soften the paste. Flip up your pet’s upper lip, and using the applicator (a fingertip will work just as well!), apply a thin film of Oravet over the outside of your pet’s teeth.

Leftover product can be stored in a zip-lock bag for future use. When re-using an open well of Oravet, simply run the Oravet under warm water for a few seconds before taking it out of the zip-lock bag.

Oravet is meant to be used in conjunction with regular tooth brushing. After having your pet’s teeth professionally cleaned, please try to brush his or her teeth at least 2-3 times per week to maintain a healthy mouth.

We look forward to helping your pet live a long, healthy life, but we can't do it with out you! If you have concerns about your pet's dental condition, if you have any questions at all about Oravet, dental cleaning, or any other information, please don’t hesitate to call!

Happy February!