Why does my pet need a dental cleaning and how often should this be done?

All pets need professional periodontal care. Bacteria and plaque irritates the gum tissues, the gums become inflamed in the early stages of dental disease causing gingivitis. Left untreated, this leads to periodontal disease which causes the loss of the bone and gingival support structure of the tooth and subsequent pain and tooth loss. In addition, the bacteria are consistently released into the blood stream allowing for systemic infections, which can cause damage to internal organs, such as the kidneys, liver and heart. A dental exam is a part of every physical exam