You can see in the first 2 photos the severe tartar on his teeth — in some the surface of the tooth is not even visible under all the tartar. Under general anesthesia we removed all the tartar from the tooth surface and below the gum line — revealing Fido’s beautiful pearly whites. Unfortunately removing the tartar also reveals some problems. In the 3rd photo you can see some teeth have the gum line receding, exposing part of the root. the infection had cause some bone loss around the teeth as well and several were loose and therefore extracted (pulled). The last two photos show Fido’s mouth after the loose or infected teeth were removed. It is very unfortunate that Fido had to lose some teeth as this disease is preventable. Brushing several times a week, dental chews and periodic professional cleanings will help your pet from ending up like Fido. Once periodontal disease has progressed, it is very unlikely that we will be able stop the disease. At that point our goal is to keep the mouth as healthy as possible and minimize loss of teeth and bone. Studies have also linked periodontal disease to disease of other organs as the bacteria from the mouth can spread through the blood stream. Our Receptionist will be happy to make an appointment to have your pets teeth examined so that we can start them on the road to a healthy mouth.