An intital assessment is needed to evalutate the teeth, and get a general idea of the level of periodontal disease. This is done during an office visit while the pet is awake.  If a dental cleaning is recommended, the next step would be to perform pre-anesthetic lab work to look for any diseases of the liver, kidney, etc. before placing your pet under anesthesia.

Once it is determined that your pet is a dental candidate, the dental cleaning consists of:

• Placing your pet under general anesthesia and performing a complete oral examination. Your pet is monitored by a veterinary nurse throughout the entire procedure.
• Dental radiographs are utilized to assess beneath the gumline.
• Tartar and calculus will first be removed, then a nurse will check the teeth for any abnormalities. Sometimes, after the tartar and calculus is removed, additional problems my be revealed that could not be seen prior to cleaning.
• Abnormal teeth are documented and brought to the veterinarian's attention. The veterinarian will then examine the teeth and perform a complete oral exam, as well as review the dental radiographs to appropriately address any problem areas.
• A final polishing will be performed on the remaining teeth that are now free of plaque and calculus.
• Your pet will then be recovered from anethesia by a veterinary nurse.
• Your pet may be sent home with antibiotics and pain meds depending on your pet's needs.