Dentistry & Professional Dental Cleaning

Dentistry is one of the most important areas of modern veterinary care, and awareness of its impact on pets’ overall health has grown enormously over the last 25 years. Dental disease is extremely common in dogs and cats, yet it often develops gradually and can be easy to miss at home.

Just like us, pets need regular dental care to keep their teeth and gums healthy. Imagine how your mouth would feel — and smell — if you never brushed your teeth. Now imagine having a painful toothache and being unable to tell anyone about it.

For many pets, a professional dental clean is one of the most effective ways to restore comfort, improve oral health, and reduce ongoing pain and infection.

Why is dental disease important?

Dental disease begins with bacteria building up in your pet’s mouth. Combined with saliva and food debris, this forms plaque on the teeth. Over time, minerals within the saliva harden plaque into tartar — the yellow or brown material commonly seen near the gumline.

Without treatment, plaque and tartar lead to periodontal disease, which affects the gums, supporting tissues, and teeth themselves. Dental disease can cause:

  • Pain and discomfort

  • Bad breath

  • Gum infections

  • Tooth loss

  • Difficulty eating

  • Damage to internal organs such as the heart and kidneys in severe cases

Many pets continue eating despite significant dental pain, so problems are often more advanced than they first appear.

Common signs of dental disease

Signs may include:

  • Yellow or brown tartar build-up

  • Red, inflamed, or bleeding gums

  • Bad breath

  • Difficulty chewing or dropping food

  • Reduced appetite or fussiness with food

  • Pawing at the mouth or face

  • Excessive drooling

  • Sensitivity around the mouth

  • Loose or missing teeth

If your pet is showing any of these signs, we recommend booking an examination with one of our veterinarians. Early treatment can help prevent pain, infection, and tooth loss.

Professional Dental Cleans

A professional dental clean is the veterinary equivalent of a human scale and polish — but much more comprehensive. Because pets will not stay still or allow cleaning beneath the gumline while awake, dental procedures must be performed under a general anaesthetic.

Professional dental cleans are one of the most common and beneficial procedures we perform. They allow us to thoroughly assess your pet’s oral health, remove painful disease, and help keep your pet comfortable and healthy.

What does a dental clean involve?

Before the procedure, your pet will receive a veterinary assessment to determine the extent of dental disease and discuss any likely treatment needs.

Depending on your pet’s age and health, this assessment may include:

  • A full physical examination

  • Pre-anaesthetic blood testing

  • Urine testing

  • Dental x-rays using our IM3 dental x-ray system

Once under anaesthetic, we perform a comprehensive dental scale and polish using specialised IM3 dental equipment. This includes cleaning both above and below the gumline, where painful periodontal disease commonly develops.

During the procedure we carefully assess every tooth. If diseased, loose, fractured, or painful teeth are identified, extractions may be recommended to relieve pain and prevent ongoing infection.

After the procedure, we will discuss your pet’s dental findings, any treatment performed, and recommendations for ongoing home dental care.

Preventing dental disease at home

Home dental care plays an important role in slowing the progression of dental disease between professional cleans.

Dental home care may include:

  • Daily tooth brushing using pet-safe toothpaste

  • Dental chews or enzymatic products

  • Special dental diets or treats

  • Dental toys designed to reduce plaque accumulation

Daily brushing remains the gold standard for maintaining dental health. Please do not use human toothpaste on pets, as it is not designed to be swallowed and may be harmful.

Even with excellent home care, many pets will still benefit from professional dental cleaning throughout their life.

If you have any questions about your pet’s dental health or professional dental cleaning, please contact our team — we’re always happy to help.