You know that good dental care is essential for your own good health, but did you know the same is true for your pet? Scheduling regular pet dental care is one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your petâs good health. If you havenât been talking to your veterinarian in San Jose about pet dental care, here are just a few of the reasons why you should start the conversation today.
Retained Baby Teeth
Pets have baby teeth that must fall out before their adult teeth can properly erupt. A fully-grown dog should have 42 teeth, while an adult cat should have 30 teeth. However, itâs not uncommon for some baby teeth to remain even after the adult teeth come in. Although you likely wouldnât be able to spot these retained teeth by looking at your pet, they can cause pain and tartar build-up that could lead to further dental disease. When your veterinarian performs a dental exam, he or she can find these retained teeth and remove them if needed to protect your petâs health.
Organ Damage
Dental health problems arenât restricted to the mouth for your pet. If your pet has a form of dental disease, such as gum disease, his or her overall health could be affected as well. Oral health problems can lead to organ 
damage in pets, including heart damage, so be sure to keep your petâs teeth and gums clean and healthy.
Advanced Dental Disease
If you wait until your pet starts showing signs of dental disease, you may be too late to catch problems in their early stages. Most pets hide pain until it is severe, so unless your vet regularly examines your petâs teeth, you likely wonât know anything is wrong until the dental disease is advanced. Not only can this be harmful to your pet, but it also means that treatment is likely to be more costly.