Is my dog healthy enough for dental cleaning and tooth repair?

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.

Just because you had one dog that had a bad experience with a procedure certainly does not mean this dog will have the same. I know you are worried but you have to do what is best for him. If you wait and don't have the dental procedure done then his condition may worsen. That will make the procedure longer under anesthesia. If you take care of it now, then it is likely to be an easier procedure. If your vet recommends this be done, and you trust him/her, then I think you should have it done. Of course, you can always go to another vet and get a second opinion and then make a decision based on two opinions.

Tartar buildup on a dog’s teeth is very common. The best way to prevent it is by brushing their teeth daily, usually in the evenings after their last meal. In most cases, unless the pulp cavity (the inner, live part of the tooth) or the crown (the whitish part of the tooth you can see) is damaged there is no need to remove the tooth. With a good dental cleaning (that must be done under general anesthesia) the tartar can be removed and the tooth polished so that the tooth can remain with the dog. If you are going to have a dental performed on your dog ask the veterinarian about performing dental x-rays. This will help determine the viability of the tooth. Once the x-rays are performed the veterinarian can make a better decision on whether or not the tooth needs to be removed. If tartar on the tooth is the only issue, there is no discoloration, cracks or fractures, or anything abnormal about the tooth, your dog will likely be able to keep the tooth. Pricing of dental cleanings very from clinic to clinic. Once you have your initial consultation with your veterinarian they should be able to provide you with an estimate. In the States a typical dental cleaning, depending on the size of dog and the problems present, can be anywhere from $300-$1000. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Please let us know if you have any further questions. Best of luck.

Hello, you'll likely need to scale the tartar accumulation off of his back teeth so that you can have an easier time keeping them clean. Ideally, after their teeth have been scaled, brushing their teeth and using dental treats may help keep their teeth clean and white the longest. As in humans, dogs should have a dental exam at least every 6-12 months with a scaling and polishing as needed. Brushing daily and dental chews such as OraVet have worked the best for my clients in the past. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I do recommend to discuss this with your regular veterinarian as they know Cookie best. However, if things are stable now, it is generally best to take care of her teeth while her body is in good condition. You never know with those liver or kidney issues could creep up again and would not allow her to get her teeth cleaned. Preventive care is best when it comes to dental health. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am so sorry that your pet has dental disease and a heart condition. Unfortunatley the tartar that causes dental disease is mostly underneath the gumline, hence the name periodontal disease. So most of the tartar that we see on the surface of the tooth is not the main issue here. It is the tartar that is touching the gum and underneath the gum that is the problem. This isn't tartar that you will be able to get off with the pet awake, because it will be uncomfortable for the pet. Also, you have a good chance of causing damage to the gum trying to do this in any awake dog. What you are asking is not possible unfortunatley. However, there are a number of heart dogs that can actually go under anesthesia for a dental cleaning, even with a heart condition. I would suggest taking Chhutki to get an echocardiogram of her heart to determine if she is a good candidate for anesthesia and then go from there. If she isn't, then the only thing you can really do here is to do a daily oral rinse and water additive such as this one --> https://www.chewy.com/nylabone-advanced-oral-care-liquid/dp/47912 Dental disease and at home care recommendations --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951515 I do hope that your pet Chhutki proves to be ok to go under general anesthesia, just like many other heart disease pets, and can appropriateliy address her dental disease condition. Best of luck moving forward. 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!