Comprehensive Pet Dental Care

Every wellness examination performed by one of our veterinarians includes an oral exam to determine the health of your pet’s teeth and gums. We evaluate dental disease according to a standardized rating system:

Grade 1: The gums are red and inflamed from tartar and infection (gingivitis), but the infection has not yet spread to the tooth root and bony structures (periodontitis). The gums may be tender, but the tooth is not painful. The condition is completely reversible with a dental cleaning and home care.

Grade 2: The infection has spread from the gums to the deeper tissues and is starting to destroy the bone around the tooth. The gums are tender and there may be mild pain in the tooth. There might be a noticeable odor. The condition is still reversible with regularly scheduled subgingival dental cleanings and home care.

Grade 3: The infection has eaten away at the gums (receded gums) and is destroying the bone around the tooth. The gums are tender and may bleed when touched. There is pain in the tooth and surrounding area and a noticeable odor. The condition may be irreversible, but if the tooth is still solid, the infection can be controlled with regularly scheduled subgingival dental cleanings and a rigorous home care schedule.

Grade 4: The infection has receded the gums away from the tooth root and destroyed the bone around the tooth. There is significant pain in the tooth and surrounding area. An odor is noticeable. The condition is usually irreversible for the tooth, which must be extracted in order to alleviate pain and eliminate the infection in the gums and surrounding bone.

If your pet is diagnosed with dental disease, we will recommend anesthesia for a dental evaluation and cleaning. We require anesthesia in pets for a proper dental evaluation and treatment to prevent your pet from experiencing anxiety or pain. It also allows your pet’s dental team complete access to their teeth.

At Animal Medical Hospital & 24 Hour Urgent Care, we take care to reduce the risks of anesthesia by following a proactive protocol to assess our patients and monitor their care throughout the entire procedure, including pre-anesthetic testing, inhalant gas, electronic monitoring, and intravenous fluids. We also perform pre-surgical blood work for each of our patients prior to placing them under anesthesia.

Most pets will go home the same day after their dental cleaning. It is normal for pets to be groggy and either sleepy or restless for twelve to twenty-four hours after the procedure due to the anesthetic and pain medications. Their appetite and behavior will return to normal in one to two days.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 1: Radiographs

At Animal Medical Hospital & 24 Hour Urgent Care, we include full-mouth radiographs (x-rays) with every anesthetic dental evaluation. These images allow us to see beyond the external surface and spot potential issues like root fractures, unerupted or embedded teeth, bone loss, resorptive lesions, tumors, and abscesses.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 2: Hand Scaling

The dental evaluation and cleaning starts with hand scaling the tartar off and doing a thorough examination of the teeth, checking for loose teeth, fractures, and using a dental probe to search for pockets. Pockets are areas where the gums have pulled away from the tooth and tartar and infection has accumulated.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 3: Charting

We write down all observations about each tooth and create a "map" of the pet's mouth.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 4: Ultrasonic Cleaning

Next, the teeth are thoroughly cleaned using an ultrasonic dental cleaner to loosen and remove all tartar and debris from the teeth and under the gums.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 5: Polish

We then polish the now sparkling teeth with a high-speed polisher to smooth the surfaces and slow future tartar accumulation.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 6: Fluoride Treatment

Finally, we apply a foaming fluoride to protect and strengthen the teeth.

DENTAL CLEANING STEP 7: Oravet® Barrier Sealant

Once the teeth are completely dry, we apply a sealant to create an invisible barrier that helps prevent plaque-forming bacteria from attaching for up to two weeks. This gives the gingiva enough time to heal from the cleaning before the owner starts on the daily oral health care routine at home.