Dental FAQs

Your pet will not show you that he has dental pain until the pain is severe. Most pets live with chronic mouth pain, and because the pain is always present they learn to live with it. If the pain becomes severe, you may notice your pet eating more slowly, dropping food, or not getting excited about his favorite meal anymore. Pets have a hard time showing us they are in pain. We know that an infected tooth in a human mouth is extremely painful. The same is true for dogs and cats.

Yes! In order for us to do a full and thorough evaluation, take X-rays, clean below the gum line, and perform any necessary oral surgery, your pet absolutely needs to be under anesthesia. This whole process can take anywhere from one to two hours depending on the severity of your pet’s dental disease. General anesthesia is very safe and well tolerated by the vast majority of pets. Our Veterinarians will do a thorough physical exam and full lab work before any general anesthesia to ensure your pet is healthy and ready for his procedure.

Cats start out with 30 adult teeth and dogs with 42 adult teeth. During the oral health evaluation, if we see a tooth that is loose, infected, broken, or painful, that tooth will be extracted. Trust us, your pet will not miss it, she will be relieved that the pain is gone. Dogs and cats are very adaptable and most pets will continue to eat their dry food just fine. If a pet has multiple extractions sometimes they will need to switch to canned food. Pets usually gain weight after a dental procedure- they are happy to eat pain-free!

After we do a physical exam on your pet, we will provide you with a full written estimate detailing the expected cost of the procedure. The price will vary based on the degree of disease in your pet’s mouth. A severely diseased mouth will require more time, more anesthesia, and likely more oral surgery than a mouth that has been kept relatively healthy.

Please call us if you have questions about your pet’s dental health!