FAQ’s


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Will My Pet Cooperate?
Most pets cooperate perfectly fine. The hygienist is trained in handling the pet and is able to calm them while cleaning their teeth. We use Bach flowers, aromatherapy and acupressure points to help calm your pet. We take our time and introduce your pet to the teeth cleaning procedure.
Do You Clean Under the Gum Line?
YES, we do a very good job of removing calculus from below the gum line. If your pet has deep pockets which prevent us from adequately cleaning under the gum line then we advise you to consult your veterinarian.
Do You Polish Teeth?
Yes, we carefully polish the teeth at the end of the dental cleaning. We use the same product, called prophy paste that your human dentist uses to polish your teeth.
How Often Should I Come In?
It depends on the breed and the build-up on the teeth. It is usually recommended at least every 6 months to a year. Smaller dogs may even need their teeth cleaned every three months, while some larger dogs may need them done less than once per year. We recommend as soon as you start seeing buildup again to have them re-cleaned. Leaving large amounts of bacteria in your pet’s mouth can lead to other health issues.
Can I Watch the Procedure?
You can stay and watch but usually your pet behaves better when you are out of their visual sight.
How Do You Do the Procedure?
Your pet lies on the floor on a dog bed with their head in our lap. With small dogs, we wrap them in a towel to make them feel more secure. We hand scale their teeth with dental instruments just like when you go to your hygienist. The teeth are cleaned inside and out, removing the tarter build up. When we are done scaling we polish the teeth. You receive a report card telling you what we were able to see during the dental.

When we examine your pet’s mouth if we immediately find problems which need your veterinarian’s attention, example- teeth which need to be extracted, we will refer you back to your doctor to have a dental under anesthesia and there will be no charge. If during the dental we find any problems, we will put the information on your report card so you can discuss any further action with your own veterinarian.
How Do You Do Cats?
The procedure in doing a dental for a cat is almost the same as a dog. However, instead of wrapping a cat in a towel, we wrap them in a cat bag. This is to insure their safety and ours. Usually this procedure will only take 30 minutes and like dogs, we discourage owners from being in the room.

If we immediately find problems which need your veterinarian’s attention, example- teeth which need to be extracted, we will refer you back to your doctor to have a dental under anesthesia and there will be no charge. If during the dental we find any problems, we will put the information on your report card so you can discuss any further action with your own veterinarian.
Do you use sterile tools?
Yes, we sterilize all our tools, and we use a different scaler on every animal.
How effective is this method?

There are circumstances where we might not be able to remove all the tartar.

  • Deep Pockets
  • Root Exposure
  • Excessive Wiggling

We do not pull teeth and we do not take X-Rays, so we can never see what is going on under the gumline.
Can our hygienist’s perform a cleaning on every dog?
No, while we can clean the vast majority of dogs and cats there are some for whom it is not appropriate. Examples would be pets with severe gingivitis, caries, fractured teeth, abscesses, stomatitis, tumors etc. Whenever our hygienists discover loose or fractured teeth, tumors, gum disease, or any other condition that needs your veterinarian’s intervention, they will write the information down for you so you can bring it to your veterinarian’s attention.
Can you use this method on older patients?
Yes, non-anesthetic dentals can be done on older pets and pets with chronic kidney, liver or heart disease who might not be a good candidate for a dental under anesthesia.
Does eating dry dog food clean your pet’s teeth?
No – This is a myth. In general a dog needs to spend time chewing to clean the teeth. Examples of this would be raw meaty bones, and bully sticks.

Every effort will be made to remove the tartar from your pet’s teeth. However, they are awake and it maybe impossible to remove all the tarter.

*Disclosure*

Please understand that a non-anesthetic dental exam and cleaning may not be as thorough as an anesthetic dental exam, cleaning and x-rays, but rather is just one part of a complete dental care plan for my pet. By using this opportunity to learn about dental care and health you may reduce the number and duration of future anesthetic dental cleanings/exams.

If your Pet needs antibiotics there will be an additional charge of $20.00