Veterinary dentistry is the branch of medicine that deals with the teeth, gums, and oral cavity of animals. Despite dental disease affecting the majority of pets by middle age, it is often overlooked by pet owners in Singapore.
Vets with a clinical focus in veterinary dentistry diagnose and treat conditions such as periodontal disease, tooth resorption, fractured teeth, and oral tumours. Tools of the trade include dental radiography, ultrasonic scaling, surgical extraction, and, in advanced cases, root canal therapy.
While most general-practice vets are trained to perform routine scaling and extraction, a dentistry-focused vet is the practitioner who handles complex cases, interprets dental radiographs in depth, and performs restorative procedures.
Dental disease in pets rarely announces itself. Pets tend to hide oral pain, and owners often notice the problem only when the animal stops eating or develops visible facial swelling. A dentistry consultation is worth considering for any pet with chronic bad breath, reluctance to chew, or visible tartar build-up.
