Dental Care

Dental health is a vital part of your pet’s overall health, yet it’s one of the most commonly overlooked areas of care. Just like people, pets naturally accumulate plaque on their teeth. Over time, this plaque hardens into tartar, leading to gum inflammation, infection, and pain.

Without proper dental care, bacteria in the mouth can enter the bloodstream and affect vital organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Dental disease doesn’t just cause bad breath, it can significantly impact your pet’s quality of life and long-term health.

Dental Care is Preventative Care!

Regular professional care, combined with at-home dental routines, can extend your pet’s life, improve their comfort, and help avoid serious health complications down the road.

If you ever notice bad breath, red or bleeding gums, loose teeth, or changes in eating habits, we recommend scheduling a dental evaluation as soon as possible.

Bloodwork and Dental Xrays

Before any dental procedure, we perform pre-anesthetic bloodwork to ensure your pet is healthy enough for anesthesia.

This testing allows us to:

Evaluate liver and kidney function
Check red and white blood cell counts
Identify hidden health concerns that may not be visible on a physical exam
Choose the safest anesthesia plan tailored specifically to your pet

Many dental problems occur below the gumline, where they cannot be seen just by looking at the teeth. That’s why we do dental x-rays before every cleaning.

Dental X-rays allow us to:

Evaluate tooth roots and bone health
Identify infections, abscesses, or bone loss
Detect fractured or diseased teeth that look normal on the surface
Ensure we are treating the true source of pain or infection

Why We Recommend Yearly Dental Cleanings

At Lifetime Veterinary Care, we recommend yearly professional dental cleanings for most pets because dental disease often develops below the gumline, where brushing and dental chews cannot reach.

Annual dental cleanings allow us to:

Remove plaque and tartar buildup above and below the gums
Prevent painful gum disease and tooth loss
Identify hidden issues such as fractured teeth, infections, or abscesses
Reduce the risk of bacteria spreading to internal organs
Keep your pet comfortable, healthy, and eating well

Because pets instinctively hide pain, many animals with dental disease appear normal at home. By the time signs like drooling, decreased appetite, or pawing at the mouth appear, the disease is often advanced. Routine cleanings help us catch and address problems early, before they become painful or costly.