Without healthy teeth and gums, your pet is liable to suffer from pain and inability to eat, as well as heart and kidney problems. Be sure to discuss dental cleanings with our doctors and staff to maintain a healthy pet.
What a dental cleaning includes
- Pre-anesthetic bloodwork
- Required on every patient. Helps us anticipate anesthetic risk and adjust the protocol.
- IV catheter & fluids
- Placed on every patient before induction. Maintains hydration and gives us immediate venous access if it's needed.
- Monitored general anesthesia
- Intubated, on inhalant anesthesia with active warming. A dedicated technician monitors heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, ETCO2, and core temperature throughout.
- Full-mouth digital x-rays
- Every patient, every cleaning. Periodontal disease, root resorption, abscesses, and bone loss are not visible on a visual exam — they are only visible on x-ray.
- Scaling above & below the gum
- Ultrasonic scaling above the gumline, hand scaling below. Below-the-gum scaling is what actually treats periodontal disease.
- Polishing & sealing
- Polishing smooths microscopic scratches from scaling so plaque has nothing to grip.
- Treatment-planned extractions
- If indicated by radiograph. We do not extract opportunistically. We call you during the procedure to discuss any extractions before proceeding.
- Written dental report home
- Includes dental chart, radiograph summary, extraction record, home-care plan, and a follow-up oral exam scheduled at no charge two weeks post-procedure.
Why we don't do anesthesia-free cleanings
Anesthesia-free cleanings — sometimes offered by groomers or stand-alone "non-anesthetic" dental services — can scrape visible tartar off the visible part of the crown of the tooth. They cannot clean below the gumline. They cannot probe gingival pockets. They cannot take radiographs. They cannot diagnose, let alone treat, the periodontal disease that is causing your pet pain.
We do not recommend them, we do not perform them, and we are willing to lose business over this position.
Home care between cleanings
Brushing is the gold standard. We will demonstrate at any appointment. The trick is daily — two times a week is barely better than zero. For dogs and cats who refuse brushing, there are dental chews, water additives, and prescription dental diets that are proven to slow plaque accumulation.
Dental cleaning FAQ
Why does dental anesthesia worry me?
Reasonably. Modern small-animal dental anesthesia in a well-monitored setting is very safe, but anesthesia is not zero-risk and we will never tell you it is. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork, IV catheter and fluids, dedicated technician monitoring, and post-op observation in our wards are all included. For senior or compromised patients we'll sometimes recommend additional cardiac workup before scheduling.
What if my pet needs extractions?
Extraction decisions are made from the radiograph, not from visual exam. If extractions are warranted, we call you during the procedure to discuss before proceeding.
How often does my pet need a cleaning?
It depends. Small-breed dogs with tartar-prone genetics often need one every 12–18 months. Cats vary widely. We grade dental disease at every wellness visit and recommend based on findings, not on a calendar.
What's the difference between your cleaning and the groomer's "anesthesia-free" cleaning?
A lot. Anesthesia-free cleanings can scrape visible tartar but cannot clean below the gumline, cannot take x-rays, cannot diagnose or treat actual periodontal disease. They are not dentistry. We do not recommend them.