Is a dental X-ray required for dog teeth cleaning or extractions?

Hello. Most veterinarians can identify the resorptive lesions during an oral exam, but x-rays can be very useful for identifying early lesions, or any possibility of a retained tooth root remnant(s). Not all veterinarians are set up to do dental radiographs, and, this will add substantially to the procedure cost. Are x-rays the better way to go? Absolutely. As for preventing FORLs. Unfortunately, we just do not know. We still do not understand the pathophysiology of tooth resorption. Extraction is the treatment of choice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This is a common problem so X-rays are not needed. These upper molars have three roots and can be difficult to remove. Your veterinarian is mentioning that he is aware of this. He should be fine extracting the tooth. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Emmy.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As with any medical procedure, complications can occur but when the appropriate precautions and techniques are used complications become much less likely. To make things as safe as possible your veterinarian may do pre-op blood work prior to anesthesia. An IV catheter should be placed and the dental is performed under full anesthesia with an endotracheal tube in place. Dental X-rays are recommended to ensure teeth can be extracted as safely as possible. Post operative pain medications should be used after an extraction. If Benji needs any tooth extractions, it is likely if proper steps are taken everything will go smoothly. And Benji will be much happier when any broken or infected teeth are removed.

The cost of a dental exam, cleaning and surgical extraction varies greatly depending on your area. I would recommend making an appointment to see a vet for an exam - they can then make an estimate based on whether or not extracting teeth is expected.

As long as he has normal bloodwork and doesn't have any underlying issues like liver disease or heart disease, then I don't see why he can't get a dental cleaning, scaling and polishing done through your vet. Schedule an appt for Torque to get his teeth evaluated first and also to get a quote for his dental cleaning +/- any foreseen extractions, if any. I hope that everything works out well for your pet and his future cleaning. Take care.

The scaling and polishing portion of the dental is the least time consuming, and most inexpensive portion of the $1000 estimate. In addition, tartar left on teeth can further aggravate gum disease. The necessary extractions cannot be done without anesthesia or pre-anesthetic bloodwork to make sure that Baxter’s liver/kidney function appears normal enough to handle anesthesia. With severe gum recession/fractured teeth, cats can develop serious tooth root abscesses and oral pain resulting in weight loss, poor health. If there are in fact diseased teeth in Baxter’s mouth, having a complete dental scaling/polishing with necessary extractions will likely significantly improve his quality of life and decrease the chances of oral bacteria causing heart valve issues in the future. Good luck!

Oscar has a significant amount of tartar buildup on his tooth. His other teeth are likely in similar condition. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian then have a complete dental cleaning. Dental x-rays should be done to have a look below the gum line. A dentistry requires general anesthesia, so blood work may be recommended beforehand.