Advanced Dentistry

Dental care is a vital part of your pet’s overall health. Oral health can affect the digestive system, kidney and liver function, and even heart health. It begins during your regular preventative care visits to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will conduct a visual oral examination to evaluate tooth and gum health, alignment of the bite, and check for abnormalities such as tumors, broken teeth or diseases. If dental issues are observed by your veterinarian, they will suggest a free dental consult for a more thorough dental exam and estimate.

Cleanings are performed under general anesthesia on our canine and feline patients. Full mouth digital dental radiographs are taken as 2/3 of the mouth is found below the gums and cannot be evaluated in a regular exam. The mouth is thoroughly evaluated and charted. We then clean the teeth with an ultrasonic instrument and hand-scaling followed by polishing and a fluoride treatment.

After a full mouth exam and x-rays we contact you if additional dental care is needed. We let you know what is recommended and with your approval we can provide those services at that time. This may include advanced dental services including periodontics for the gums and structures supporting the teeth and endodontics, including root canals to save damaged teeth.

Our dental suite is equipped with the latest technology and tools to meet your pet’s needs. Besides providing dental care for your pet we believe educating pet owners in the importance of at-home dental care for continued disease prevention.

What to Expect at Your Pet’s Veterinary Dentistry Visit

Since animals cannot sit still for a thorough dental evaluation, teeth cleaning, and other dental work, general anesthesia is necessary. To guarantee the safest outcome, we require all patients undergoing an anesthetic procedure have the following:

• Pre-operative health exam
• Diagnostic blood panel
• Cardiac tests, including an echocardiogram and EKG, if indicated by pet’s physical exam

Your pet’s safety and comfort are important to us. We closely monitor your pet’s respiratory rate, pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and blood oxygen level throughout the procedure and into recovery. All animals undergoing dental procedures are generally admitted and discharged from the hospital the same day, and we will provide information regarding post-operative care. If medications are necessary, they can be filled at our onsite veterinary pharmacy for your convenience.