Oral and Dental Health Care

Veterinary Dental Care

Did you know that dental care is as important for pets as it is for humans? Regular dog and cat teeth cleaning helps to protect your pet from oral health problems, including gum disease, tooth loss and life-threatening bacterial infections. The best approach to pet dental care combines an annual dental checkup and professional cleaning with regular at-home care including teeth brushing.

Dog & Cat Teeth Cleaning Essential for Pet Wellness

Dental care is one of the most overlooked aspects of pet care. However, your pet is more likely to experience a dental problem than any other type of health problem. Since a pet cannot brush his own teeth, it is important that you do so for him. Otherwise, food particles and bacteria will accumulate along the gum line, hardening into plaque and tartar. Once tartar forms, the only way to remove this build up is with a professional cleaning. Without a proper cleaning, tartar deposits can push away the gum line, creating pockets that are susceptible to bacterial infections.

Symptoms of an oral health problem including swollen or bleeding gums, change in appetite (eating food becomes painful), tooth loss, and foul breath. What you won’t be able to see, however, is the internal deterioration occurring along the gum line and the teeth. Tartar and bacteria can literally eat away at the teeth and the gums. If a bacterial infection forms inside the gums, this infection may enter the bloodstream and affect the internal organs, including the heart, liver and kidneys.

Regular cat and dog teeth cleaning is the best way to prevent tooth loss and gum disease in pets. During a dental cleaning, our veterinary professional will scrape away tartar from the gum line. Next, we will polish the teeth, creating a smooth surface that is resistant to future plaque deposits.

Following a cat or dog teeth cleaning, our veterinary care team will walk you through the steps for at-home pet teeth brushing. At-home care is the first line of defense against oral health problems. However, we also recognize that brushing a pet’s teeth is not easy, especially if your pet becomes anxious or squirms near a tooth brush.

To help condition your pet to brushing, we recommend that you start by adding a small dollop of pet-friendly toothpaste to you finger. Gently rub this finger along your pet’s gum line. After several weeks of practice, your pet will become used to this sensation and less resistant to a toothbrush. An easy alternative to the pediatric toothbrush is to use gauze around your finger.  Our vet recommends brushing your pet’s teeth once daily.

Is your pet overdue for a dog or cat teeth cleaning? Contact our veterinarian today to schedule an appointment!

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Tuesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Wednesday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Thursday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Friday:

7:30 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

Open 1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month. Closed 2nd & 4th Saturdays of each month.

8:00 am-2:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Read What Our Clients Say

  • "We have a new 8 week Boston Terrier that we took to Springfield Vet yesterday for the first time. Absolutely pleased with the service, attitudes and genuine care shown to our little boy. The whole team was so professional, but took time to talk to you and explain everything. Dr Cynthia Wiseman is so wonderful, she sat in the floor did Logan's exam and played with him. What bedside manners. I will continue to use them, I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a caring and professional vet."
    Roi W.
  • "We absolutely love this vet clinic and the staff! The facilities are modern and always clean. Everyone is always so friendly and genuinely care for you and your animal- they make you feel as if you are apart of their family.

    Our boy, Samson, is a Rottie (and quite the problem child). We are usually in the clinic almost every other month for something and they are always so helpful and show great care and love for our pup! We are very picky/protective puppy parents, so we were very grateful to have found both Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Heath shortly after getting Samson.

    We have definitely found our "home" in the vet world, and would highly recommend to anyone who is currently looking!"
    Machaelie H.
  • "I have taken my dog here since he was a puppy. The staff are so friendly and caring, a very clean place and they always get us in quickly. When we come in no one passes us without greeting my dog and I and they're never in a rush to get us out of there."
    ShealynR.
  • "We decided to start taking our new kitty here this past fall and we love it! He was not on his best behavior (to say the least) for his first appointment, and the staff was so patient and was still able to safely run his bloodwork and give him his vaccinations. Every service has been reasonably priced, and they did everything they possibly could to make sure that our little guy was off to a healthy start after we adopted him. What I love is that they really seem to focus on the small details, too, like trimming our cat's nails after remembering that I had expressed interest in doing so at a previous appointment, or supplementing his flea treatment with something to safely speed up the process. We will definitely keep coming here as long as we live in Springfield!"
    Megan J.
  • "I have been taking my dog to SVC since 2012 and when I adopted my cat in 2015. I have never had a bad experience. We have seen Drs. Heath & Cynthia Wiseman and I love them both. Always professional, always take their time when looking my pets over, asking questions, and answering mine."
    Katherine P.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "We’ve been taking our Moose there for a few years now. After swallowing a toy when he was a puppy, getting fixed, having surgery on his eyelids a couple times, and most recently having a breed specific illness; I can I say I would recommend everyone to go here. They’ve taken the best care of our boy time and time again and went above and beyond."
    Ashley J.
  • "Pleasant staff.,very informative. Great environment for your pets, including own room for cats to play so as they aren't stressed out."
    Cheryl K.
  • "Dr. Cynthia Wiseman has helped my little Shiba dog with chronic hip problems tremendously with consistent acupuncture therapy! So thankful for this practice and the high quality of care they offer my pets!"
    Lacey M.