All about pet dental care and oral health

Dental disease in dogs and cats

Danger signs that may mean pain or infection.

Signs of dental disease

How to brush dog (and cat!) teeth

Yes, you can do it! See our step-by-step tips.

How to brush
 A husky getting its teeth inspected

Professional dental cleanings

How and why dental cleanings can help oral health. Why cleanings count

Commonly asked questions

Dogs and cats aren’t quite as good as people at keeping their mouths open for dental cleanings, and their teeth are way sharper. Anesthesia helps us safely examine and clean their entire mouth. Watch our video on professional dental cleanings

Our industry-leading anesthetic protocols have been developed with veterinary anesthetic specialists. We prioritize keeping your pet safe and comfortable throughout their dental cleaning, just like we do all other procedures under anesthesia. See our video on anesthesia

Ideally, yes! Good home dental care helps support all the benefits of a full professional dental cleaning, just like it does for people before and after they see the dentist. How to brush your pet’s teeth

Although we can tell quite a bit from your awake pet’s mouth, we can’t take a full look until your pet is under anesthesia. That’s when we can take radiographs, examine under the gumline, check the back of their mouth, and explore all the little nooks and crannies where disease might hide.

If we do find evidence of additional dental needs (and costs), we’ll always reach out to discuss what next steps we recommend. It’s really important to keep your phone handy during your pet’s procedure because it’s often simpler (and less expensive) to address these dental issues while your pet is already under anesthesia instead of needing to make a new surgical appointment.

Dental disease affects many dogs and cats. Good home brushing plus regular professional dental cleaning can help your help your pet avoid painful periodontal disease, tooth loss, and truly stinky pet breath.

Periodontal disease at any stage is a very common oral disease found in dogs and cats. It begins with plaque that can turn into tartar that’s impossible to clean with brushing. The tartar can lead to gingivitis (inflamed and painful gums) and even tooth loss.

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