LONDON, Ontario, April 12, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Firth Veterinary Hospital announced that the practice has replaced X-rays with digital radiography for dental care. Digital radiography is an advanced diagnostic tool that is considered to be more time and cost efficient that traditional dental X-rays, according to veterinarian Dr. D. Peter Firth. Dr. Firth, who is also the hospital director for Firth Veterinary Hospital, recommends an annual dental cleaning for all pets and a digital dental radiography test during this cleaning. Results from the test help veterinarians like Dr. Firth determine whether a pet has symptoms of gum disease or other oral health problems that are not evident through visual examination.
Digital radiography is revolutionizing pet dental care, says veterinarian Dr. Peter Firth, and his practice, Firth Veterinary Hospital, is now offering this advanced diagnostic procedure.
"Pets are masters at hiding the symptoms of illness until more advanced problems develop," said Dr. Firth. "Consequently, we often do not know when a pet's health is breaking down until it's too late. This is especially true for dental health problems. Most of a pet's dental problems are under the gum line and cannot be seen. Digital radiography gives us an inside look at your pet's oral health."
Digital radiographs are different from traditional X-rays because these diagnostic images are produced digitally, rather than with film. Digital images can be viewed instantly, which allows a veterinarian to quickly adjust exposure settings and retake an image should the original fail to fully capture the necessary visual information.
"With X-rays, we used to have to wait until they were developed to determine if the information we need had been fully captured," said Dr. Firth. "Since pets naturally want to move, it can be difficult for them to sit still during the X-ray session. Sometimes this meant bringing pets back in for another appointment, which could be expensive and time consuming for pet owners. Digital radiography ensures we get the right result the first time."
Digital radiography images may reveal potential dental health problems, such as a diseased tooth root.
"Digital radiography means dental health problems are identified more quickly, which means less time under anesthesia for your pet," said Dr. Firth. "This also means problems can be treated faster for better results."
Dr. Firth stressed that three out of every four dogs and cats aged three years or older show symptoms of gum disease. These symptoms may include excessive drooling, a reluctance to eat hard foods or play with chew toys, and reddish, swollen gums. Dr. Firth noted, however, that symptoms may not be present until later stages of the disease. Digital radiography results can help veterinarians identify gum disease problems before these symptoms are present. In addition to this, digital radiography can help veterinarians detect feline tooth resorption and treat it accordingly as this can be extremely painful for cats.
In addition to digital radiography, Firth Veterinary Hospital offers on-site laboratory testing and ultrasound diagnostics. To learn more about these services, visit http://www.firthvet.com.