Pet Dental Procedures

Dental cleaning is one of the more common procedures we perform and we think one of the more important. Dental disease can lead to “doggy breath”, loss of teeth, loss of appetite, systemic infections, heart disease, and kidney disease. We evaluate the status of your pet’s teeth and gums with each wellness exam and make recommendations based on our findings. Some animals are much more susceptible to dental disease than others. If your pet needs a teeth cleaning, it is done in our hospital under general anesthesia. As part of the dental procedure X-rays can be used to detect issues below the gum line such as tooth abscesses. Extractions are often necessary to heal the infection and alleviate chronic pain. Scaling and polishing take approximately 60 minutes to perform. The best thing you can do at home is to brush your pet’s teeth and there are new dental diets which can slow the production of dental plaque. Regular veterinary dental care and continual homecare leads to fresher breath and a happier healthier pet.