ULTRASOUND: The New Technology for Your Dog's Dental Health and Wellbeing

Many professional pet groomers across the UK are now offering an 'Ultrasound' teeth treatment for dogs. The results are impressive. Dogs are benefiting enormously from improved oral hygiene, clean teeth and gums, and, wonderfully for all of us, fresh breath.

The treatment doesn't involve sedation. And most dogs are happy to co-operate because the procedure is both gentle and tasty.

How does it work?

The hand-held 'ultrasound' toothbrush (not to be confused with a sonic toothbrush) resembles an electric toothbrush for human use. It is powered by rechargeable batteries and typically includes a setting so that it can be operated on non-vibrating mode.

The instrument features a detachable/changeable head which is normally three-sided so that when it is placed over the top of a tooth it generally covers all of the exposed surfaces. The head of the toothbrush is held for ten or 20 seconds at a time over the top of the tooth. It emits thousands of ultrasonic pulses per minute.

With a mix of water and a flavoured special toothpaste, the action generates microbubbles or nanobubbles. These microscopic bubbles are so small they travel into the tiniest of places. Because the bubbles are negatively ionised, they attract positively charged bacteria. As this frothy micro-bubble mix swishes about over the teeth and gums, below the gum line, over and around the tongue, and elsewhere throughout the dog's mouth, bacteria is removed.

After one or two treatments, any built-up plaque and tartar on the dog's teeth will start to soften and flake away. Some groomers may apply the pressure of a thumbnail to 'chip' off the tartar but otherwise, some patience is required for the hard tartar to lessen and flake off. Sinking teeth into a rope toy or gnawing on a doggy chew will often help.

With the removal of bacteria from the mouth and even below the gum line, dogs benefit from healthier gums and fresher breath in addition to their cleaner teeth.

The Advantage of an Ultrasound Teeth Treatment

The advantage of an Ultrasound Teeth Treatment of course is that a dog does not need to be sedated to have its teeth cleaned. Sedating has its own complications especially for older dogs or flat-faced breeds like the British or French Bulldog, Shih Tzu, Lhasa Apso, Boxer, Boston Terrier, and more.

Some vets don't like the risk of sedating an elderly dog and have even started to refer their clients to a nearby pet groomer for the Ultrasound Teeth Treatment. Also, because the treatment is gentle and non-invasive, it does not involve scraping the enamel.

A normal vet-administered teeth cleaning with sedation typically involves using a metal scaler to scrape hardened tartar from the tooth. This can damage the enamel, which potentially exposes the tooth to a more rapid build-up of plaque afterward.

Of course, some dogs don't like anybody poking around their teeth and a non-sedating ultrasound teeth treatment is not for them. The non-vibrating setting can help here because the dog needs simply to tolerate the toothbrush being held over the top of the tooth for 10 or 20 seconds at a time.

The whole treatment is typically completed in about 20 or 30 minutes depending of course on the size of the dog, how well it cooperates, and the skill of the person providing the treatment.

Groomers themselves admit to their frustration of initially not getting the hang of it, not seeing results, and then, suddenly, overnight, something happens and they can do it.

Practise makes perfect.

Pet Groomers are not Veterinarians

It's also worth noting of course that pet groomers are not veterinarians. They are not qualified to diagnose dental problems in dogs. Although they can provide the ultrasound treatment, if they see teeth decay or gum problems in your dog, they should suggest you visit your vet.

Therefore, by offering the service of an Ultrasound treatment, groomers are indeed helping to raise awareness of good oral and dental hygiene among dogs. This is beneficial for the vet's purposes because it gives them the opportunity of catching and helping to resolve an issue before there is a potentially worse outcome.

Despite some resistance from vets that groomers are stepping on their turf, the reality is instead beneficial overall and, in particular, for the dogs whose health and wellbeing we are all committed to.

If a dog is conditioned from a young age to tolerate, or even enjoy the treatment, the future looks as bright as their Hollywood smiles.

There are two brands of ultrasound teeth cleaning in the UK at time of writing. To purchase or find out more about 'CleanyTeeth' please visit: https://www.theultrasoundshopp.co.uk/ . To purchase or find out more about 'Emmi-Pet' please visit: Emmi Ultrasonic Independent Distributor .