Routine dental care is a critical component of your pet's overall health. While daily teeth brushing is the gold standard of preventative care we know how difficult that is to do regularly. That is why we follow the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) recommendation of annual professional dental cleanings starting at the age of 2. It is estimated that by age 3 70-80% of cats and dogs will have developed periodontal disease. 

Progressing periodontal disease can lead to bad breath, bone loss, tooth discoloration, swollen gums, abscess formation, and pain. Most pets are adept at hiding pain and outward signs will not be noticed until the level of disease is very severe (pus and blood from the mouth, drooling, or dropping food). In addition dental disease can also contribute to systemic disease through the spread of bacteria in the bloodstream. The liver and kidneys are especially susceptible since one of their main functions is to filter the blood. 

Yearly professional dental cleanings are one of the most effective ways to prevent oral pain, infection, and tooth loss. On top of that we offer an optional treatment called "Sanos" that is clinically proven to last for 6 months. This treatment seals the gumline and protects against the formation of plaque. 

• Everything included on the services page under "what is included in the price" (IV catheter, IV fluids, personalized anesthetic protocol, hospital stay, pain medications, etc.)

• A surgical team of two registered veterinary technicians and 1 Doctor

• Oral exam

• Full mouth digital x-rays and x-rays following any extractions

• Dental charting

• Supra- and subgingival scaling

• Crown polishing

• Periodontal probing

• Subgingival irrigation

• Dental nerve blocks if needed - these are performed with a long lasting anesthetic that will provide potent pain relief for 72 hours

• Individualized therapy plan

• Before and after photos, dental chart, and home care recommendations

• Certain disease processes may require treatment in addition to the regular dental cleaning. These include:

  • Dental extractions - the removal of dead or diseased teeth. Cost is dependent on the tooth affected (incisor, canine, premolar, or molar) as some require the creation of a gingival flap and closure with suture. 

  • Bone grafting - a synthetic bioactive ceramic that is placed in areas where bone loss could lead to fracture or when extraction of a tooth could lead to bone loss in an adjacent tooth. Pricing is $200 per area.

  • Fillings/bonded sealants - The treatment of choice for uncomplicated tooth fractures. If the damage is caught early, a resin filling can be placed, sealing the tooth, resolving sensitivity and blocking infection. Pricing is $120 per filling

  • Periodontal therapy - subgingival curettage and root planing. This is the treatment of choice for periodontal pockets of 3-6mm. It encourages reattachment of the gingiva to the root preventing progression of periodontal disease. Pricing is $60 per area. 

  • Oral biopsy - removal of abnormal tissue and submission for testing. Pricing is $250 which includes evaluation by a board certified pathologist for a definitive diagnosis.

Dental x-rays are considered gold standard in every professional dental cleaning for a number of reasons. 

Think of teeth as an iceberg. The majority of the tooth is below the surface which means most of the disease affecting teeth cannot be assessed without looking below the gumline. Without x-rays unfortunately a lot of destructive disease is not caught. Even teeth that look healthy on the surface can be hiding disease below the gumline. For this reason the full mouth should be x-rayed, not just the diseased looking teeth. The picture on the bottom right shows a normal looking canine tooth in a cat mouth. The picture on the top right shows the x-ray of the same tooth with a large lesion just below the gumline with tooth destruction that has made it's way into the highly sensitive pulp cavity. Dental abscesses, bone destruction, and tooth resorption can all cause significant infection and pain without any obvious signs on the tooth surface.

Another reason for dental x-rays is detecting retained teeth or tooth roots. If not removed, these can lead to pain, infection, and destruction of surrounding bone.