While we believe every month should be dedicated to your pet's dental care, we have an extra incentive in February — 15% off cleanings!

Dental cleanings are a procedure done under general anesthesia. It is essential to start with pre-anesthetic bloodwork. If your pet is seven years of age or older, or has had past health concerns, we recommend a full blood screen, including a complete blood count, chemistry panel, and thyroid level prior to the day of the procedure. If your pet is young and healthy, we can do in-house lab work the same day. The anesthetics we use (including sedatives, pain medications, intravenous anesthetic agents, and inhalants) are metabolized by the liver or kidneys so it's important to check these values to ensure your pet's safety.

Dental disease is graded on a scale from 1-4. Grade 1 and 2 dental disease is characterized by mild to moderate tartar with associated gingivitis. Grade 3 and 4 dental disease involves advanced periodontal disease with severe tartar, recessed gums, mobile teeth, and diseased roots. Grade 3 and 4 dentals often require tooth extractions.

The first step in a dental cleaning, once your pet is under anesthesia, is a thorough oral exam. Next, using an ultrasonic scaler, we remove tartar from the tooth surface and under the gum line. Once the tartar is completely removed, each tooth is individually evaluated for any defects or problem areas such as periodontal pocketing, mobility, attachment loss, or fractures. Teeth that require extraction are removed, then the teeth are polished to remove the microscopic abrasions that attract plaque. Lastly, a fluoride treatment is applied.

As soon as your pet returns home it is important that you establish a home care routine. Plaque can harden into irremovable tartar in as little as 24 hours. Imagine what your teeth would look like if you never brushed them, or only brushed them occasionally! Just like us, pets need their teeth brushed daily to prevent plaque and tartar accumulation leading to severe periodontal disease, which can adversely affect their lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys. Clean, healthy teeth and gums can help prolong your pet’s life up to two additional years.

Brushing daily is the best way to prevent dental disease. When brushing is not possible — or for added help — we carry a variety of dental products that can aid in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. We offer a variety of tooth brushes including finger brushes and ergonomic soft-bristled brushes. We also carry individual toothpastes in several flavors. We have a variety of dental products such as Hill’s T/D (tartar diet) and Purina’s DH (dental health) diet that can be fed as a main diet or given as treats, CET oral hygiene chews in different sizes, and a water additive, Aquadent.

Call us today to set up an appointment for a dental consult with one of our technicians and schedule a dental cleaning for February. Celebrate National Pet Dental Month with us and benefit from the 15% savings while your pet benefits from the many long-term advantages of a healthy mouth.