Dental disease is common, and easy to miss at home
By middle age, most dogs and cats have some degree of dental disease. It starts with plaque, hardens into tartar and slowly works below the gumline, where it can loosen teeth and cause infection. Pets rarely stop eating because of a sore mouth, so the signs at home are subtle.
Watch for bad breath that does not go away, red or bleeding gums, brown tartar on the back teeth, chewing on one side, dropping food, pawing at the face or a new reluctance to play with chew toys. Any of these is a good reason to book a dental check.
The doctor looks at your pet's teeth at every exam and gives each mouth a simple grade. When a cleaning would help, we explain why, show you what we see and hand over a written estimate with a low and high figure.
Home care makes a real difference between cleanings. Brushing a few times a week, dental diets and chews that bend under a thumbnail all slow tartar down, and our technicians are happy to show you how at any visit.
Owners often notice a livelier, more playful pet within a week or two of a sore tooth being treated. Dental pain is chronic and quiet, so pets adjust to it rather than complaining, and the change only becomes obvious once it is gone.
Cats have a dental problem of their own: painful lesions where the tooth slowly dissolves at the gumline. They are common after middle age, hard to see without X-rays and a frequent reason a cat starts eating more slowly or chewing on one side.
Small breeds of dog, flat-faced breeds and dogs that were never brushed as puppies tend to need cleanings earlier and more often. Large dogs that chew hard objects are more likely to break a tooth, which can expose the nerve and needs attention even when the dog seems fine.
A dental day, step by step
Dental cleanings happen under general anesthesia, which lets us clean below the gumline and take X-rays of every tooth. Your pet is with us for most of the day. Here is how a typical dental day runs, from drop-off to the drive home.
A technician reviews the plan with you, confirms the best phone number and answers last questions.
The doctor rechecks your pet. A technician places an IV line and stays with your pet for the whole procedure.
Full-mouth dental X-rays come first, then scaling above and below the gumline and polishing.
We phone you when your pet is awake, then share the X-rays and notes at pickup.
Times are typical. Your pet's plan may differ.
What a dental cleaning includes
Every dental procedure at Wrenfold follows the same checklist, so your estimate reflects the full work rather than a partial cleaning. If the X-rays show a tooth that needs treatment, the doctor calls you before doing anything that was not on the plan.
- Pre-anesthetic exam and blood work
- IV line and fluids
- Technician monitoring throughout
- Full-mouth dental X-rays
- Scaling above and below the gumline
- Polishing and charting
- Pain relief when needed
- Photos and a written home plan
Questions owners ask about dental care
Anesthesia questions come up most. Our doctors are always happy to talk them through before you book. See also our advice article on brushing a puppy's teeth.