Dental month promotions are over, but oral health care and plaque control efforts remain a daily habit. Emily Watson writes about various dental tools and products available to help pet owners stay current with oral care. Her approach to using a dental toy as a reward is unique and worth sharing.
From our idea files
During a recent discussion with an industry colleague about the results of dental month at the clinic he manages, it was clear there are at least four groups of pets in clinic records to consider regarding oral and dental care.
- Clients whose pets have received a dental check-up or procedure in the last 12 months
- Clients who set dental appointments but did not follow-through
- Clients who decided to avoid a check-up but whose pet is over 3 years of age
- Clients whose pets are still quite young (e.g. less than 3 years old)
For group 1: sending thank you acknowledgements and home care reinforcement messages along with some tool suggestions makes sense. If the clinic is using an online supplier, linking the actual SKUs helps clients act on the suggestions.
For group 2: consider new time periods when clinic traffic wanes and extend any dental month promotions for appointments set during those times only. (e.g. Wednesday mornings)
For group 3: focus messaging on the importance of oral care at home. Suggest SKUs for home care similar to the ones in group 1. Include an oral screening during the next semi-annual exam. Make a concerted effort to talk teeth and gums during all visits and invoice oral exams at no charge as a professional courtesy.
For group 4: include oral care recommendations along with parasite control messages. SKU suggestions along with a clinic case picture of gum disease and decay in a dog who did not get regular care. Then reinforce the home care messages and urge pet owners to bring their pet in for an oral check up if they smell bad breath, notice plaque or pale gums.
Four groups allow for changing messages every month in newsletters and social media posts. This addresses each group once every four months. My colleagues comments about promoting oral health care check-ups are reflected here.
Source: Animal Wellness, April 2019. Link.
New findings link inner organ diseases directly to gum health” Stephen Spector, Techmira Corporation.
INSIGHTS: Not mentioned in Watson’s article are MAXIGUARD® Oral Cleansing Wipes < link > from AHD sponsor Addison Biological Laboratory. These wipes work well for scrubbing teeth and gums without having to use anything except a finger. Easy to demonstrate in the exam room, clients will be amazed at the amount of oral debris removed from their pet’s mouth in less than a minute.
See: Make in-home oral health a priority for every pet, AHD, January 14, 2020. Link.