“The services provided by Pet Dental Services have proven to be invaluable to our practice. Our clients appreciate the safety and convenience that non-anesthetic dentistry provides to their pets. Pet Dental Service’s staff is incredibly kind and patient with the pets in their care. Even some of our fearful patients are able to benefit from a full dental cleaning due to the gentle care provided by the PDS staff.”
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Dr. Melissa Byers
Lake Forest Animal Clinic
Lake Forest, CA
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“Their technique is gentle yet so very effective in the patients that qualify for this procedure. I have not encountered a case yet that I am not totally satisfied with the outcome. Having Pet Dental Services as part of your healthcare team is a win, win, win situation.”
Dr. Laurie Koorhan
Doctors Pet Clinic
Murrieta, CA
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We have been very happy with the level of service we receive from Pet Dental Services, a teeth cleaning service without anesthesia for cats and dogs. They are very professional and relaiable. They are friendly and knowledgeable regarding dental cleaning, and are very good with our clients. They take the time to explain the procedure and are always willing to over the dental report with the client.
Their technicians arrive once per week (4 times per month) to our clinic, bringing with them all their own equipment. they perform a full teeth cleaning with manual polishing and complete charting, which the client gets a copy of. They typically service between 80 and 100 patients per month at our facility.
The level of professional care can be seen by us as well as the clients, which keeps most of them booking repeat cleanings for their pets on a regular basis.
We would be more than happy to recommend Pet Dental Services to any veterinary clinic or animal care facility.
Eric Christensen
Hospital Administrator
Founders Veterinary Clinic
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“Since day one working with the Pet Dental Services crew, we have been impressed with their ease handling our numerous film animals, and the undeniable fact that our dental costs have reduced significantly.”
Birds & Animals Unlimited are the owners and trainers of numerous film animals including Moose from “Frasier”, Laiko from “Because of Winn Dixie”, Pongo & Perdy from “101 & 102 Dalmatians”, Coal from “The Shaggy Dog”, just to name a few.
Lorraine Putnam
Operations Manager
Birds & Animals Unlimited
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I have been using the non anesthetic dental cleaning treatments for approximately seven years now and they work great. They are in no way intended to take the place of deep cleaning, extractions and radiographs that are all done during anesthetic dentals. They are an excellent complement to thorough dental care. Once a deep cleaning is done with anesthesia, a follow up preventative cleaning is scheduled in 4 to 6 months to maintain the teeth in great health. Younger dogs with no major dental disease can be scheduled for non anesthetic dentals to prevent the tartar buildup and gingivitis. They are to be used as we do with people, routine dental cleanings to prevent severe dental disease. The non anesthetic dentals if started early in the life of our pets, followed up with good home care can prevent a lot of problems in the future. They are also a great alternative for the geriatric pet that has a greater risk with anesthesia. The advantage with the geriatric pet is greater if dental cleaning has already been instituted in the past when the pet was in good health.
Dr. Cristina Comartin
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“I was very happy with the cleaning that the technician did.”
Ethel Levine
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“The technician was absolutely fantastic at educating me on my pet’s dental health.”
C.L.
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“I would definitely recommend Pet Dental Service to my family and friends.”
Michelle O’Keefe
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“The PDS technician thoroughly explained my pet’s dental health needs.”
S.J.
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“The technician was thorough, kind and clearly she loves the animals with whom she works.”
Erica Simba
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“If Pet Dental Services was a hotel, I would give you 5 stars.”
Erica Melville
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“I would absolutely recommend Pet Dental Services to my friends and family.”
S.J.
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“The technician was fantastic, very educated and all around it was a great experience.”
Jenny McKell
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“The technician had great communication over the phone.”
Jeanette Orlen
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“I was educated on my pet’s dental health needs by the technician, and I would recommend Pet Dental Services to my friends and family.”
P.P.
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“I feel this service really keeps my pet’s breath fresh”
Cheryl Rice
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“The technician was excellent! She explained everything and kept me updated.”
Ann Marie Gamble
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“The technician gave very helpful tips on the techniques for brushing our dog’s teeth. I was amazed that he wagged his tail through the whole cleaning!”
Shirley McCray
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“The technician was very thorough in her communication.”
Barbara Elliot
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“The technician was very educational and I am very happy.”
H.Z.
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“I have seen what dental neglect can do, and this procedure is very beneficial.”
B.F.
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“Better health and a happy babygirl make this service so beneficial.”
J.S.
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“I love the result of the cleaning, the friendly technicians and that my dog is not frightened.”
Colleen Dickson
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“Without this service, my dog would be in serious trouble with bacterial infections.”
Sylvia Crockett
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“The technician was very gentle with my Dachshund and explained the at home cleaning process thoroughly.”
John James
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“I love that I don’t have to sedate my dog! Her appointment was right on time and the technician was very kind and honest.”
Jessica Lawson
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“I have a fussy dog who doesn’t like her mouth touched and the PDS technician was able to successfully and thoroughly clean her teeth.”
Christie Lesinski
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“The researchers were able to identify all areas of pathology, and confirmed their findings with radiography. Therefore, their research supports the conclusion that a probing and cleaning can be done without general anesthesia.”
Patrick Hardigan Ph. D.
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“I have been using Pet Dental Services for the past 3 years. Not only is the staff courteous and professional, but the extent of the work being done is superlative. Since we have started offering this lower cost non-anesthetic option, client compliance has begun to improve. It is a win/win situation, pets that are eligible for this non-anesthetic procedure are getting the dental care that is essential for their overall health and clients are benefiting from getting affordable preventative care. Also, some clients are extremely sensitive to placing their pet under anesthesia. It is a pleasure being able to satisfy the clients, but also give the pet the care they deserve.”
Brian Gerard, D.V.M.
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“The technician is always helpful, professional and on time.”
Terry Archer
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“If I hadn’t had the dental scheduled with Pet Dental Services, I don’t think the nasal growth would have been found.”
F.L.
(866) 561-6717
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POPD – Non-Anesthetic Dental Cleaning For Dogs and Cats
May 28, 2013
Veterinarians commonly recommend prophylactic, or preventive, anesthetic dental cleanings to their patients on an annual basis to combat the periodontitis (dental disease) that can lead to other major health issues in dogs and cats. But what can a veterinarian, or a pet owner, do to prevent dental disease in young animals before it occurs, as well as maintain a pet’s good oral health after dental x-rays and an anesthetic cleaning, and when the pet in question is not a good candidate for general anesthesia?
POPD is a new, non-anesthetic veterinary dental cleaning procedure that solves that dilemma using highly-qualified and trained certified dental technicians in your veterinarian’s own clinical setting.
What is POPD?
Professional Outpatient Preventive Dentistry (POPD) is a term developed by Pet Dental Services to describe their non-anesthetic teeth cleaning procedure performed on dogs and cats. Performed under the direct supervision of a veterinarian, POPD utilizes a type of gentle proprietary behavioral management to allow your pet to have a complete visual dental examination and preventive cleaning of all tooth surfaces without the use of a general anesthesia.
Pet Dental Services formed the National Pet Dental Association to increase pet owner awareness about the dangers associated with seeking medical procedures such as dental cleanings without veterinary supervision. The practice of on-site veterinary supervision is one of many policies that differentiate the POPD from the Non-Professional Dental Scaling (NPDS) typically executed by non-professionals in non-veterinary facilities, often using sub-standard and dangerous methods. Always make sure a veterinarian is present during your pet’s medical procedures!
The NPDA’s Board of Directors includes several highly-regarded human periodontists and dental veterinary technicians who oversee the extensive training of the certified dental technicians performing the POPD procedures. These technicians are mandated to treat their animal patients much as a human pediatric dental patient is treated – with patience and gentle kindness to avoid frightening and possibly injuring the patient.
How is a POPD procedure performed?
Your pet’s veterinarian must first recommend the non-anesthetic procedure for your dog or cat before one of Pet Dental Services skilled and highly-trained certified dental technicians will perform the cleaning. Typically, those animals with severe gingivitis, caries, fractured teeth or stomatitis are poor candidates for POPD.
The certified dental technician then evaluates your pet’s temperament to see if the patient’s behavior will allow for a successful procedure. If a pet is overly fearful or anxious and it is determined that the non-anesthetic treatment will not be a viable option, the hygienist will recommend an alternative treatment approach. By approaching patients calmly and patiently, and introducing each phase of the treatment slowly, the hygienist is able to build enough trust with your pet employing gentle behavior management so that the tools of traditional veterinary dentistry can be used to clean the teeth.
Under the on-site supervision of your veterinarian, the hygienist performs a thorough oral exam of your pet’s gums and mouth looking for loose teeth, abscesses and pockets of infection, fractured teeth, bone degeneration, tumors, and other conditions that necessitate your vet recommending an anesthetic dental procedure. If no such problems are found, your pet’s teeth are scraped above and below the gum line – meaning all plaque and tartar is gently removed and rinsed away. Scaling is accomplished using a piezoelectric scaler that uses ultrasonic sound waves to remove hard dental calculus without heating the surface of the tooth. The teeth will be machine-polished to remove the incidental micro etching where food particles and bacteria are most likely to adhere, and all tooth surfaces are rinsed of debris.
Your pet is fully conscious and awake during the entire procedure; your pet has complete control over its gag reflex so risk of aspiration is not a concern.
What type of pet does the procedure work best for?
POPD or Non-anesthetic dental cleanings are a great alternative for older pets, and for those pets with chronic liver, kidney, or heart disease that might not be good candidates for general anesthesia. The hygienist sits at eye level with your pet and uses a variety of proprietary holds to maintain control while keeping your dog or cat calm and comfortable; POPD may also works well for those animals that become anxious or upset during long visits at the vet clinic.
How can veterinarians and pet owners best use the POPD program?
POPD is not intended to replace traditional veterinary dentistry; rather, it serves as an additional therapy to anesthetic dental procedures.
When performed correctly, and prescribed appropriately by veterinarians, POPD can be used as maintenance therapy between anesthetic dentals for younger pets with a high predisposition for dental disease, or for high-risk patients unable to safely undergo anesthesia. Pet owner compliance – with at-home dental brushing – can help with prevention of further dental disease and that prevention increases with more frequent routine cleanings and oral examinations.
