Improving your pet’s dental health is vital for their overall health. The bacteria and disease that thrives in your pet’s mouth can cause other health problems such as liver, heart or kidney problems, as well as significant discomfort and pain for your pet. Often owners are not aware of the extent of their pet’s dental disease.

How will I know if my pet needs dental treatment?

We include dental health assessment with your pet’s annual wellness check (often combined with their annual vaccination). Signs of dental disease can include:

• Bad breath
• Tartar build up (yellow or brown discoloration of the teeth)
• Red, inflamed gums
• Loose teeth

We can improve your pet’s dental health by undergoing dental treatment under general anaesthesia. If we determine your pet needs dental treatment, our veterinarians will give you an estimate for the procedure and book your pet in for a day-stay in hospital.

• General anaesthesia including intravenous fluids and optional pre-anaesthetic blood test
• Full mouth assessment, charting and periodontal probing
• Removal of tartar build up by ultrasonic scaling
• Prophy polish to prevent future tartar build up
• Day hospitalisation
• Dental radiology – to assess the roots of the teeth below the gumline
• Local anaesthetic nerve blocks if extractions are required
• Extractions as indicated by examination and radiology
• Post-operative and take home pain relief (if indicated)

We use “state of the art” IM3 dental machines used to perform routine dental cleaning, through to more complex procedures. It enables full extractions and ultrasonic dental scaling and polishing, effectively treating the most common disease affecting domestic pets – periodontal disease.

As most canine and feline teeth are multirooted, any extractions for all but the very loose require the tooth to be sectioned with a high speed cutting bur in a hand piece driven by compressed air. We also have an IM3 Vet Tome extraction system, that greatly reduces extraction time with minimal or no bone loss, resulting in a better long term outcome for your pet.

We offer a follow-up review at no charge at two weeks with a nurse to check your pet’s progress following their procedure.

If your pet has had teeth removed, soft foods can be given for 4-5 days after their procedure.

Once your pet has been given the all clear following extractions, we recommend starting prescription dental diets such as Royal Canin Dental or Hills T/D. We also recommend using dental treats such as Whimzees, Greenies or Oravet for dogs, and Greenies for cats. You can also brush your pet’s teeth daily using toothbrushes and toothpaste designed for dogs and cats.

We do not recommend the feeding of bones- raw or cooked – as these can pose a choking hazard, cause an upset stomach and can break teeth.