realization of a dream come true would be an understatement.
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| Dr. Jennifer Keaten of Mainely Veterinary Dentistry. |
“We are thrilled to open our doors and begin to help people and their cats and dogs with a wide range of oral health services. With the shortage of veterinary dental service providers, we see this location as a great way to serve Maine cat and dog owners as well as people who will travel from New Hampshire or Massachusetts,” Dr. Keaten said.
She said she chose Windham as the location for Mainely Veterinary Dentistry because of its proximity to the Greater Portland area so she and her team can treat as many patients as possible.
The Mainely Veterinary Dentistry facility features state-of-the-art equipment, and offers an ergonomic workspace with proper seating, lighting, and tools.
“The best thing about what we do is returning cats and dogs to pain-free living,” Dr. Keaten said. "It’s wonderful to hear owners say that they are acting like a puppy or kitten again."
She said that since animals can’t talk, they can’t express pain they experience from dental problems.
“Sometimes because of that, we as pet owners don’t recognize pet dental issues,” Dr. Keaten said. “A big part of our mission at Mainely Veterinary Dentistry is educating the public about pet dental disease and proper oral health.”
According to Dr. Keaten, 80 percent of cats and dogs over the age of 3 have some sort of dental disease and these issues can be corrected to ensure that pets live long, healthy, and pain-free lives.
With four dedicated employees, Mainely Veterinary Dentistry offers a large four-table dental suite and two consultation rooms to provide clients and their pets a wide and complete range of oral health services.
“The misconception may be that we’re just here cleaning teeth and that’s wrong,” Dr. Keaten said. “We do clean a pet's teeth, but we also assess every tooth, perform full mouth dental x-rays, and complete a thorough oral exam with probing of every tooth for pockets or other problems. We offer so much more than just a cleaning and we do offer options to try and save teeth when possible."
She said Mainely Veterinary Dentistry believes in and advocates for routine annual comprehensive oral health assessments and treatments for cats and dogs.
“Some patients may even need this service every six months to prevent dental disease from progressing,” Dr. Keaten said. “We encourage dental homecare and educate owners on the best options for their pet; however, a proper oral exam cannot be performed on an awake animal and two-thirds of the pet’s tooth is under the gumline. Dental x-rays ensure that we do not miss any problems that could otherwise go unseen.”
Dr. Keaten grew up in Fryeburg and lives in Bridgton. She studied biology at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont and initially pursued a career in wildlife and environmental ecology. In 2006 she was introduced to the world of veterinary medicine when she took a job at Fryeburg Veterinary Hospital. She was trained to be a veterinary technician and quickly fell in love with the field, developing a passion for veterinary dentistry and preventive medicine.
In 2008, Dr. Keaten applied to veterinary school and earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Iowa State University in 2013. She completed a practicum project for a master’s degree in public health in 2016 from the University of Maine.
She received her certificate as a Veterinary Dental Practitioner (VDP) through the International Veterinary Dental Institute (IVDI) in March 2020 and assisted Dr. Brett Beckman, Board Certified Veterinary Dentist and IVDI founder, in teaching other general practitioners to perform high quality dentistry in a general practice setting before opening Mainely Veterinary Dentistry.
In addition to starting the business, Dr. Keaten will continue to provide educational training and dental clinics at veterinary practices across New England. She hopes that the training she offers will help other veterinarians and veterinary technicians to become more familiar with veterinary dentistry and provide more dentistry services.
Mainely Veterinary Services accepts referrals from other veterinary practices and pet owners are also encouraged to make an appointment to bring their animals to the facility for services and examinations. The business is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
For a complete list of available services or to make an appointment, call 207-481-8232, or visit MainelyVetDentistry.com. Find them on Facebook under Mainely Veterinary Dentistry. <
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