Wokingham has a revolutionary new dental veterinary practice.
Luna the Dental Vets, on Howlett Grove, is a UK first for affordable fixed-price pet dental care.
Co-founders and owners, Dr Joe Inglis, and Louise Cooke are on a mission to ensure fewer cats and dogs suffer the misery of bad teeth.
Their completely new model of animal dentistry launched in Wokingham in January.
“We’re really excited to be here,” says Louise, “ready to offer state-of-the art care at reasonable prices.
“We all know how important it is for us to clean our teeth daily, and to visit a dentist regularly.
“What many pet owners don’t realise is that the same is true for their dog or cat.”
Good dental health is vital to the health of the whole animal.
Periodontal disease is caused when a buildup of plaque and tartar allows bacterial infection to destroy gums, ligaments, and tooth-supporting bone.
From the roots, bacteria can pass through the blood system to all areas of an animal’s body; the heart, blood, liver, kidneys, and even the brain.
Around 80% adult dogs and cats have some level of dental disease, but the damage can be hard to see.
“Cats’ teeth, especially, are like icebergs,” says Louise.
“They may look fine on the surface, but when we x-ray we may find them riddled with holes beneath the gums.
“Animals are good at masking pain.”
Tooth brushing helps reduce the development of dental disease, but only veterinary dental scaling can remove the brown dental calculus that builds up on teeth and leads to periodontal disease.
This can only be carried out by vets under general anaesthetic, when teeth can be properly assessed, cleaned and diseased teeth extracted. While most vets do offer dentistry alongside their other services, Luna is the first practice to focus 100% on dentistry, with high-end dental equipment and highly experienced dental vets and nurses.
Its two fixed-price packages are: Protect & Shine, a scale and polish programme; and Fix & Shine, for surgical work.
“We recommend bringing your dog or cat to us for their first assessment at three years old,” says Louise.
“Until then, you can practice good pet dental health at home.”
Protect & Shine every couple of years then prevents buildup, and Luna’s home delivery of pet dental products can support oral hygiene.
But there’s help, too, for animals with poor oral health.
“Some people are embarrassed to bring their animal’s bad teeth to us, but we know it’s not something many owners are aware of, and we’re just happy to help,” says Louise.
“Removing painful teeth can be transformational, and people are often amazed by the lively way their pet comes bounding out, even if they’ve had fifteen teeth extracted.
“Don’t wait until there’s a problem, come and talk to us.
“We’d much rather polish teeth than extract them, so just pop in and make an appointment for a free 20 minute consultation, and let’s get talking about your pet’s oral health.”
For information, visit: luna.pet, drop in to the practice, or search for Luna on Instagram.
