Dental Cleaning & Extractions

Plaque hardens into tartar (calculus) within days, and tartar cannot be removed by brushing alone. Without professional cleaning, tartar accumulation leads to:

• Periodontal disease — destruction of the bone and ligaments that anchor teeth, causing pain, tooth mobility, and eventual loss
• Tooth root abscesses — painful pockets of infection at the root tip, often invisible without X-rays
• Oral pain that pets hide — dogs and cats rarely stop eating even when their mouths are severely diseased, so owners are often unaware
• Bacteremia — bacteria from infected gum tissue entering the bloodstream, associated with changes in the heart, kidneys, and liver over time

Regular professional cleanings, combined with home dental care between visits, are the most effective way to slow the progression of dental disease and keep your pet comfortable.

The full anesthetic dental cleaning is a multi-step procedure performed under general anesthesia with continuous monitoring:

• Scaling: ultrasonic and hand scalers remove tartar from crown surfaces and from beneath the gumline, where periodontal disease begins
• Probing and charting: every tooth is probed to measure pocket depth; findings are recorded in a dental chart
• Digital dental X-rays: full-mouth radiographs reveal root fractures, bone loss, retained root tips, and abscesses invisible to the naked eye — these change the treatment plan in a significant proportion of cases
• Extractions: teeth with deep pockets, root abscesses, fractures, or severe disease are extracted; local nerve blocks are used so patients wake up comfortable
• Polishing: the crown surfaces are polished to smooth microscopic scratches where plaque will otherwise re-accumulate faster

The procedure length depends on the degree of disease and the number of extractions needed — it can range from 45 minutes to several hours for severely affected mouths.

Dental cleanings require general anesthesia, so the preparation mirrors other anesthetic procedures:

• Food should be withheld from the night before (approximately 8–12 hours); fresh water is generally fine until the morning of the procedure
• Pre-operative bloodwork is required for senior pets and strongly recommended for adults to confirm liver and kidney function are adequate for safe anesthesia
• Let us know about any medications your pet takes — most are continued, but some are paused on procedure day
• Be prepared for the possibility that extractions may be needed — X-rays frequently reveal disease not visible on a pre-procedure oral exam, and waiting to schedule a second anesthetic event just to extract an already-identified painful tooth is not in your pet's best interest

Most pets go home the same afternoon and are back to normal energy within 24 hours. Aftercare depends on whether extractions were performed:

• No extractions: pets can eat normally that evening; mild gum soreness resolves within a day or two
• Extractions: soft food is recommended for 7–14 days; prescription pain medication and sometimes antibiotics are dispensed; chew toys and dental chews are paused until the sockets heal
• Recheck visits are scheduled based on the severity of disease found
• Home dental care — tooth brushing with pet-safe toothpaste, dental chews, or VOHC-approved rinses — significantly slows tartar re-accumulation between professional cleanings

The frequency of repeat cleanings depends on the individual pet: some need annual cleanings, while others — particularly small breeds, flat-faced breeds, and cats — may benefit from cleanings every 6 months.

The risks of a professional dental cleaning under proper anesthesia are low for healthy patients. General anesthesia carries a small inherent risk addressed through pre-operative bloodwork, continuous monitoring, and individualized drug protocols. Extraction sites heal well in most cases; very rarely, a jaw fracture can occur when severe bone loss from periodontal disease has weakened a mandible — this is far more likely to occur at home from chewing than during a careful extraction. Anesthesia-free dental scaling is not a safe or effective alternative — it removes surface tartar cosmetically while leaving subgingival disease untreated and risks injury to an awake, stressed patient.