Regular dental care is important because bacteria in a pet’s mouth can cause serious damage to internal organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, etc thus you need to have pet dentistry maintenance. The way these bacteria make it to the organs is by entering the bloodstream through diseased gums. The gums become diseased secondary to tartar buildup that irritates the gums. As tartar accumulates and irritation continues, inflammation sets in and the gum tissue begins to recede away from the teeth and then the teeth begin to loosen. The end result can be loss of the teeth. In severe circumstances, there can also be pus accumulation around the teeth.
Gum disease and periodontal disease also cause bad breath, difficulty eating, finicky eaters, excessive drooling, and pain. The only way to address these problems is to clean the tarter from the teeth. This is accomplished by chipping off the tartar by hand, and then using an ultrasonic scaler to remove the remainder of the tartar. The process is not done at that point. After the scaling, the teeth are polished to smooth out defects in the surface caused by the scaling process. This is a very important step that, if not done, will result in rapid reaccumulation of the tartar. Finally, we apply a fluoride treatment to further harden the enamel with our pet dentistry services.
Dentals are frequently required for older pets. These pets are also the ones most likely to have conditions that could make anesthesia more dangerous. For any pet over 5 years of age, we strongly recommend pre-anesthetic labwork. For any pet over 7 years of age, we recommend full diagnostic screening from our pet dentistry services.
Same Day Diagnostic Testing
Out pet dentistry offers same-day diagnostic testing for most patients. If we detect a serious issue, we may postpone the procedure. Prices range from $102 and up depending on the extensiveness of lab work.
All prices are current as of April 20, 2017.
Dentals
Dentals: $225-325
What is included in dental pricing?
Scaling, polishing, injectable pain medication, injectable antibiotic and removal of teeth. Also includes a flouride treatment for the teeth. If we feel the pet needs pain medication, this is included as well.
We do not charge per tooth for removal.
Please note: Feline full mouth extraction is not considered a routine dental group. Feline full mouth extraction is priced at the doctor’s discretion and includes removal of all teeth, oral and injectable antibiotics and oral and injectable pain medication. This is a specialized procedure for cats that have severe gingivitis/stomatitis that cannot be controlled with medication.
What is not included in pricing?
If needed, the oral antibiotics to go home are not included in the above price because of the range of possible antibiotics we may recommend. If the pet has significant gingival hyperplasia that requires cautery, this is an extra charge as well and is based on the extent of the hyperplasia.
Additionally, preanesthetic bloodwork (recommended for animals over 5 years of age–range from $65 to $150), antibiotic prescription, other procedures such as vaccinations, etc. are not included.
Can you do bloodwork on the day of surgery?
Yes, we have a full in-house laboratory.
Do you need an appointment?
Yes it is required to have an appointment. Schedule an appointment here.
Do you perform advanced dentistry?
Unfortunately, we do not offer this service. This includes extractions of multiple root teeth that are not already loose.
Do you provide cosmetic dentistry?
Unfortunately, we do not offer this service.
Do you provide dentals on patients that are having sterile surgery (spay, neuter, dewclaw, etc)?
Unfortunately, we do not offer this service. We can offer, microchipping, vaccinations, deworming, heartworm testing, fecal sampling and other diagnostic testing.
*It is not a good idea to do dental work at the same time as sterile surgery.
Who do you provide dentals to?
Canines and felines. Unfortunately, we do not offer equine dentistry. We recommend New South Equine Medicine in Watkinsville for this service; you may call at 706-310-1022.
