I did a dental on a lovely Bassett called Nero the other day. He was one of about 8 we saw from Dogs Trust - so if you like Bassetts, get up there quick! Unfortunately, they were all suffering from dental disease, ranging from mild to very severe. The photos do not do complete justice to the rankness of Nero's mouth, but take it from me that the smell was appalling! I love a good dental. The pleasure of being able to convert that smelly, infected, painful mouth into an uninfected, uninflamed one smelling just slightly minty, is one of the joys of veterinary practice. And it really brought home to me the message that veterinary dentists (yes, there are a few!) have been trying to drive home - dentistry for animals, as for people, is not just a matter of nice-looking teeth, which in animals would not be particularly important, but of treating and preventing a disease which causes suffering and can shorten life.

Before.........

After...............