Dental Surgery

Periodontal disease is an infection of the periodontium (tissues surrounding the teeth) that progresses in stages. Periodontal disease begins with the formation of a bacterial film on the teeth known as plaque. If left untreated the plaque will spread and will lead to inflammation of the gums, causing them to get red, swollen, and to bleed easily, a condition known as gingivitis.

• Inflamed and red gums
• Visible tartar on the teeth
• Broken or missing teeth
• Bad breath
• Decreased appetite or trouble eating
• Unusual discharge from the mouth
• Swelling of any area near the mouth
• Abnormal chewing or excessive drooling
• Painful when touched near mouth

If you notice your pet having any of these symptoms give us a call to set up a dental consult.

The treatment will be based on the severity of your pet’s dental disease. For most pets, a full dental procedure (full scaling and polishing under anesthesia) will be recommended. Other pets will require extractions (removing diseased teeth) in addition to their cleaning. The removal of an affected tooth will provide some much-needed relief for your fur baby. After a proper dental procedure, many pet owners report the emergence of a “brand new pet”—one who is happier and more active. By providing home dental care in addition to regular professional cleaning, you can help prevent periodontal disease from recurring.

In dogs and cats, we remove teeth for several reasons including:

• If your pet still has baby teeth
• Teeth are dead and causing pain and infection
• If teeth have an abscess or pocket of infection at the root
• Teeth are fractured (example: from chewing something too hard like rocks or hooves)
• Teeth are loose and uncomfortable

For most pets, we recommend dental cleanings every 1-3 years, depending on age, breed, and other circumstances such as diet and individual chemistry in the mouth. During dental cleanings, we will take full mouth x-rays, remove tartar from the teeth and under the gum lines, which will prevent infection and bone loss. Keeping teeth clean and gums healthy is the best way to ensure your pet keeps those teeth as long as possible. It also helps prevent other health issues, such as heart, kidney, and liver infections, down the road.

Because 60% of the tooth lies under the gums, we perform dental x-rays for every patient to ensure the health of the entire tooth. X-rays are the only way for us to know if your pet has a serious dental problem that can be treated, relieving discomfort. Dental x-rays can reveal things like abscesses, bone loss, unerupted teeth, and more.

A referral from your primary veterinarian is NOT required for dental procedures. We do require a pre-dental consultation with our veterinarian. Bloodwork is required for all pets five years and older. Please let us know if your pet is on any medications or supplements, as well as if any known allergies, drug, or vaccine reactions have occurred. The night before surgery, we ask that you refrain from feeding your pet past midnight and no breakfast the day of surgery, but water is ok.

A team member will call or text you to let you know when your pet is out of surgery and in recovery. They will also let you know what time to pick your pet up to go home. You will be sent home with a postoperative care form and any prescribed medications for your pet’s recovery.

Please ensure your pet does not have any of the following symptoms before the appointment: no vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, or anything that appears as odd or not normal behavior for your pet.

We strongly recommend that ALL pets be up-to-date on vaccinations, primarily Rabies and DA2PP (dogs)/ FVRCP (cats). Please note, proof of these vaccinations from a qualified veterinarian will need to be provided prior to or during your appointment.

All cats must be in a sturdy appropriate size carrier and all dogs on leashes.

Please note we accept cash, CareCredit, Scratchpay, and most major credit cards (no Checks). Full payment is due at the time of pickup.