Pet Dental Health Happens Year Round
February 29, 2024
National Pet Dental Health Month, sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, promotes the dental well-being of our beloved pets. Dental health is an important component of our furry friends’ overall wellbeing and is a part of the quality care we provide at our hospitals. Dr. Rudy Salber shares his passion for dentistry and how our new grads show serious interest in this area. Our hospitals also recognized National Pet Dental Month in their own unique ways with messages to their clients.
The Vetcor network includes many veterinarians and hospital staff who enjoy the challenges of pet dentistry. Dr. Salber, Chief of Staff Advisor from Ashburn Veterinary Hospital, Virginia, told us a little bit about his experience in dentistry, “My love for dentistry developed once I was in general practice, and I did not actually have the opportunity to take a dentistry rotation when I was in school. The prevalence and severity of dental and periodontal disease inspired me to want to learn more about how to address this problem. I have enjoyed learning and developing a skill set to address varying levels of disease.”
Dr. Salber hosted New Grad Rounds, “1,000 Dentals Later - Lessons Learned" for continuing education credit last fall. “I love talking to new grads about dentistry because it is something they are excited about tackling themselves. They have learned about common pathologies and treatments in school, and they are eager to become proficient with nerve blocks and extractions through practice. One of the takeaways I had from the dental rounds was how interested new grads were in the dental radiographs. Radiographs are necessary for a thorough dental procedure, and the new grads want to see photos of dental disease and the associated radiographs so they can start to build that mental library of images to pull from during their procedures.”
Our veterinarians have the opportunity to attend other continuing education events that focus on dentistry throughout the year. Most recently Dr. Dawn Brooks, Chief of Staff, Littleton Animal Hospital, Massachusetts, hosted New Grad Rounds on rabbit and rodent dentistry and Dechra served up some dental hacks for hospitals.
Hospitals know their clients better than anyone and when it comes to getting important messaging like dental health reminders to stand out, they know exactly how to reach them. Towne South Animal Hospital in Louisiana had a lot of fun with their Facebook post titled, “Time for a Pet Smile Makeover.” They refer to the “magic” of dental cleanings and assure clients they provide VIP treatment to give pets healthy and sparkly teeth. Atrium Animal Hospital, North Carolina had a different approach. The team provided tips on their Facebook page on how clients can help maintain their pets’ dental health between visits. Touching on a pain point of many pet owners when teeth brushing doesn’t go as planned, they provided reassurance to their clients, “Sometimes you need to go back to square one, and reintroduce it slowly as a positive experience.”
We are so proud to have amazing veterinarians willing to share their dental knowledge with their colleagues. It is also fun to watch our hospitals show off their individuality as they educate their clients about dental health. National Pet Dental Month is a great time to pause and focus on education, but dental health happens year-round at our hospitals!
