Dental disease is one of the most common health problems we see in our patients.Up to 80% of dogs and cats have some form of dental disease by the age of 3 years and 10-20% have fractured teeth. Oral and dental disease can be painful but our patients do not always show signs of pain. Dental disease is progressive and the early stages of dental disease are reversible. We aim to intervene early to minimise and delay the progression of dental disease and ensure the long-term health of our patients.

When we examine an animal’s mouth in the consult room it is not always easy! It can be difficult to assess whether extractions are necessary because this is a decision which often relies on our assessment of dental x-rays. Unexpected extractions can add a significant cost to the procedure and extra time under general anaesthetic. We may also be asking you to make a rushed decision about your pet’s oral care after a short telephone conversation while they are under anaesthetic. To continue to put our patient’s health first we are changing the way we perform dentistry.

The main change is that we are converting to staged dentals. This is a similar format to when we, as humans, go to the dentist.

Stage 2 (if required) – Further treatment which may include: