Pet dental care
A cleaning, full-mouth X-rays, and any extractions your pet turns out to need, done in one visit under anesthesia.
What happens during a dental visit
- Pre-anesthetic exam and bloodwork. Before any sedation your pet gets a physical exam and a complete blood count and chemistry panel, run on every patient, within the month before the procedure.
- Anesthesia induction and monitoring. Throughout, someone is assigned to your pet and to nothing else, on pulse oximetry, ECG, blood pressure, capnography and temperature, from induction through to recovery.
- Full-mouth dental X-rays, taken here, on every dental. Root disease, resorption and the tooth that is quietly abscessing all sit below the gumline and are invisible without radiographs.
- Charting, and treating what is found. Every tooth is examined and charted individually, and the X-rays are read before anything is removed. The consent form asks which you would rather we did if we find something beyond what was planned: treat it while your pet is already under anesthesia, or call you first. If we cannot reach you we do only what would be unsafe or unkind to leave until we have spoken.
- Recovery. Your pet goes home the same day, including after extractions. If you would like us to check the mouth once it has healed we are glad to, usually two to three weeks later.
Why we do not offer awake dental cleaning
You will find “anesthesia-free” or “awake” dental cleaning offered nearby, often at a lower price. Nobody wants their pet anesthetized if it can be avoided. We do not offer it.
Scaling an awake pet’s teeth removes the tartar you can see, on the outward-facing surfaces. It leaves what is under the gumline, which is where periodontal disease actually happens. It cannot include dental X-rays. Your pet’s mouth looks better afterward without being healthier.
Holding an awake pet still while sharp instruments work around its gums is not a low-stress experience. It is frequently more frightening than the anesthetic it was meant to avoid, and a pet who learns that having its mouth handled means being held down is harder to examine for the rest of its life.
What a dental procedure costs
A dental cleaning under anesthesia runs $800 to $1,200, depending on your pet’s weight and on the grade of dental disease already present. Full-mouth dental X-rays and a small number of extractions are included in that range.
Where a mouth needs extensive extractions, the figure is more like $1,200 to $1,800.
Which of the two a pet falls into often cannot be known until they are under anesthesia and the radiographs have been read.
Ready when you are
Bad breath, yellow or brown teeth, red or bleeding gums, or chewing carefully on one side are all reasons to have a doctor look.
Dental care — common questions
How do I know if my pet needs a dental cleaning?
Bad breath is the one most owners notice first, and it is worth taking seriously rather than accepting as normal dog breath. Cats in particular tend to show very little until the problem is advanced. They go on eating through a painful mouth, so a cat who has simply become less interested in hard food is worth a look.
How often does my pet need a dental cleaning?
There is no schedule, because it depends on the mouth rather than the calendar. Two dogs of the same age and breed can need cleanings years apart. It is assessed at every wellness exam, and we tell you when yours is due and what we are seeing that makes us say so. Small breeds, flat-faced dogs and cats with crowded mouths accumulate tartar faster than a large-breed dog does, so if you have a Yorkie or a Persian, the answer is probably more often than you would guess.
What can I do at home between cleanings?
Brushing is the one thing that reliably works. Brush closer to the gumline than feels natural, because that is where the disease starts and it is the part people miss. Give it about thirty seconds per quadrant. Daily is the target. If brushing does not fit your household, look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal. The VOHC accepts only products shown to reduce plaque or tartar, which most of the chews sold as dental have never been tested for at all. We like Virbac's C.E.T. Veggiedent chews, and Hill's t/d as a diet.
Will my pet be in pain afterwards?
It depends on what was done. After a cleaning with nothing extracted, very little. Your pet goes home the same day and is usually themselves again by that evening. After extractions, expect some soreness for a few days. A local nerve block goes in during the procedure every time, so the mouth is already numb when they wake up, and they go home with an anti-inflammatory and gabapentin for five to seven days depending on how much was done. A pet who needs several teeth out has been living with those teeth for months, and a painful mouth is something pets hide rather than complain about. The most common thing owners tell us afterwards is that their dog or cat is brighter, eating better or playing more than before.
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20801 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 101 · Scottsdale, AZ 85255
480-585-3512