Dentistry

We recommend home dental care for all cats and dogs. Brushing teeth, using dental treats and diets, and appropriate toys can be a great way to prevent or slow the progression of dental disease in our pets. Even with diligent home care, however, most dogs and cats will require a dental procedure at least once in their lifetime. Some cats and dogs, particularly toy and small breed dogs, are extremely prone to dental disease and require yearly dentistry! Signs of dental disease requiring intervention include bad breath, discolored teeth, gingivitis, tartar accumulation, and pain when eating or drinking. We take every precaution to make our dental procedures safe for your pet and to ensure pain-free healing after dental surgery.

Dental procedures must be performed under general anesthesia. This allows us to assess and clean below your pet’s gum line, allows the procedure to be pain-free, and prevents fluid and bacteria from entering the respiratory tract.

Hand-scaling or other anesthesia-free procedures make teeth temporarily look cleaner, but do not address dental disease below the gum line.

• A dental procedure involves multiple steps, including:
• Oral exam and dental x-rays under anesthesia.
• Removal of tartar.
• Scaling below the gum line.
• Tooth polishing.
• Irrigation.
• Extractions may be performed if indicated. Extractions are only performed by a veterinarian.
• Post-operative instructions are always provided. Pain control is always provided for any pet with tooth extractions or other potentially painful conditions.