PET DENTISTRY

Crowns, root canals and white porcelain/ composite fillings aren't just for two legged creatures anymore. The whole gamut of dental treatment has now become part of your pets care also. After all, they are part of the family and their health and well-being is just as important as the rest of the kids.

Many of the same problems that affect your teeth and gums also affect Rover and Ms. Kitty. Gum disease is very prevalent in household pets and many live to see old age without many of their teeth. Can you imagine trying to eat crunchy dog food without back teeth? Or worse, being fed soft food the rest of your life? Neither solution is good so why even go there when the latest in human dentistry is also available to your extended family.

Veterinary dentistry has now become a specialty. A doctor can become a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist. It is generally a three-year post graduate program and there are currently less than a hundred of these specialists worldwide. The first examination wasn't held until 1989. Full recognition for veterinary dentistry as an approved specialty was granted in 1995. We owe human dentists a great deal, because they have made significant contributions to the development of veterinary dentistry, and continue to do so.

In 1987 the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry was formed in response to the need for recognition of those veterinarians who had advanced training and competency in animal dentistry. Since 1987, over 80 veterinarians have been found qualified to stand for and pass the written and practical examinations and be named as Fellows of the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry.