If you have never taken your dog to the veterinarian to get their teeth cleaned, then you are probably wondering about what you should expect when your dog is getting their teeth cleaned?

When your dog is getting their teeth cleaned, do not expect from the vet to get a basic brushing.

Your dog will receive a thorough oral examination, the teeth cleaning, and then polishing to remove any tartar buildup and making sure that there are no signs of diseases that can cause buildup. 

Since the teeth cleaning is pretty quick, after your dog’s teeth cleaning your pet can go home.

Now, since they did have to put the dog under general anesthesia, your dog will be sleepy throughout the rest of the day, so just let them rest.

This article will help you better understand what to expect when your dog gets its teeth cleaned.

What To Expect When Your Dog Gets Its Teeth Cleaned

For some people, getting your dog’s teeth cleaned and examined may seem like you are going the extra mile. Even though your pet is not human, you are still going to want to make sure you keep up with some sort of dental hygiene for your pet. This will help prevent any foul odors from their mouth and help prevent oral diseases that could occur.

Depending on what oral care your dog needed, if surgery was required, antibiotics and/or pain medication can be sent home with you as well. You want to make sure that you are giving their medications when you are supposed to. This can help in the healing process so that they can get back to their normal, energetic self as soon as possible.

Over the course of the healing process, your dog’s mouth can be sore. Their eating may slow down, and drooling will happen; you might spot blood in their drinking bowl but as long as it is not a lot of blood, it is normal so do not be alarmed.

What To Look Into For Your Dog’s Teeth Cleaning

There are a lot of things to factor in when you make the decision to get your dog’s teeth cleaned. You want to have the best experience for your dog and yourself. But where do you start with it all?

You should set aside some time to do some research of your own so that you would know what to expect on things like:

• What is the cost for your dog’s teeth cleaning
• How do they clean your dog’s teeth
• Are there any recommendations that might help your dog before/after the teeth cleaning

Things You Should Consider For Your Dog’s Teeth Cleaning

Your dog’s teeth should be very important to you as a pet parent. Neglecting their teeth, just like if humans neglected their own teeth, could cause so many issues for them. Everyone has a price range that they are not willing to go over when it comes to medical expenses, but it is always unpredictable.

You want to make sure you try to find the best deals that you can but not neglecting their dental care at the same time. You want to make sure that you are going with a vet hospital that will explain the procedure to you and answer any questions you may have about the teeth cleaning.

They might even recommend some things that you can do to make sure everything goes smoothly and to help prevent any other issues coming about as well as how to take care of your dog’s teeth going forward. It is not a lot of work to make sure they have the proper care but it can be a bit time consuming.

What Is The Cost For Your Dog’s Teeth Cleaning

The cost of your dog’s teeth cleaning can vary depending on the age, size , and where you live. The cost can vary between $500- 1500 for a teeth cleaning. You definitely want to do more research depending on your price range. This is why prevention is the best way to lower your costs.

Depending on which location you choose for your dog’s teeth cleaning will determine which way you could be billed by the veterinary hospital. Some bill by what type of procedure you are getting for your dog, and others can bill by the length of time it took for the procedure to be completed.

Unfortunately, the older your pet is, the more pricey these costs can get. This may not be the case all of the time but older dogs do tend to need more dental care.Their size also plays a factor into the cost of the procedure because it might require them needing more anesthesia or pain meds/antibiotics to take home.

You might be able to save some money if you do some research and compare prices between different vets. It is going to take some time out of your day to look into the best care for your dog’s teeth. But it could end up being worth it.

How Do They Clean Your Dog’s Teeth

There is a lot that goes into your dog’s teeth being cleaned. Have you ever wondered what they actually do during a teeth cleaning for your dog? How long does the procedure take and if your pet is going to be in any pain afterwards?

The procedure is not  invasive and takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. They use a special scaler to remove the plaque and tartar buildup above and below the gum line. Not removing it completely can cause periodontal disease, so they want to be thorough.

After the scaling of the teeth is done, they then polish the teeth to help remove the scratches on the teeth that can cause plaque buildup. Then the procedure is done and your dog’s teeth are like brand new; just sensitive at the moment.

Do Not Be Afraid To Seek Professional Advice

Before or after the procedure you may have a bunch of questions that you would need answered in order to feel at ease and prepared to take care of your pet at home. It is always best to ask the questions while you have the vet in front of you, so try to be prepared in advance.

Their food, treats, and any side effects from the meds are some of the topics that you can ask questions on because every dog is different. You can even ask how to properly brush your dog’s teeth just to make sure you are doing it correctly.

The Start Of At Home Care After Your Dog’s Teeth Cleaning

After the procedure, you will be able to take your dog home. The vet will give you a set of instructions to follow to ensure that your dog’s mouth heals properly. The rest of your dog’s dental health is in your hands.

If you were not taking care of your dog’s teeth before the cleaning, now is a good time to start doing so. Be mindful of your pet’s health just like you would of your own. Making sure you buy the proper toothbrush, toothpaste, and chew toys and treats are all essential to your dog’s dental health.

You can look online for reviews on some of the things you can do and buy to help. There are plenty of pet stores to compare prices with as well as your major retail stores.

How To Maintain Your Dog’s Dental Health After The Teeth Cleaning

There are many things that you can do to help with their dental health after getting a teeth cleaning. However, if your dog had any teeth removed, give their gums extra time to heal. It may take several days for them to feel comfortable again.

So you know that there is something that you need to do to help maintain your dog’s dental health but you do not know where to start? Just remember to take it day by day and do not try to do everything at once. Let your dog get used to the routine as well.

Here are some aftercare tips that you can implement into a routine for your dog’s teeth:

• Routinely check ups on your dog’s teeth
• Is It Really Necessary For A Dog’s Teeth To Be Cleaned
• Is Dental Care For Your Dog Worth It
• How Often Should You Get Your Dog’s Teeth Cleaned

How To Ensure Proper Healing

After your dog’s teeth have had a good amount of time to heal make sure to get a good look at your dog’s mouth before brushing. You want to make sure there is no bruising/swelling or anything else that could lead to an infection. If this does happen, make sure to consult your vet before taking any unnecessary steps.

Then you can go into brushing your dog’s teeth; but be very gentle. Try to avoid hard treats or food for a little while as well because the mouth is still very fragile and the dog’s do not know any better, so you have to be extra careful. Even if they are giving you cute innocent eyes, for their benefit give them something softer to eat.

Routinely checkups on your pet’s teeth helps keep both you and your furry friends at ease. There are a few things that you should look out for when doing this. Look at your dog’s face and just make sure that there is no swelling that is occurring. Sometimes all we need to see is right in their facial features.

If your dog has an unusual or strong foul odor coming from its mouth; you may need to make an appointment for a dental check up with your veterinarian. Do not leave anything untreated because it can cause a lot more damage and pain down the road for them. It could also cost you more money than you expected to spend.

Is It Really Necessary For A Dog’s Teeth To Be Cleaned

Just like with humans’ foul breath being linked to poor dental hygiene the same goes for a dog’s foul breath. This can be linked to common medical issues. Mostly, the cause of your dog’s foul breath could be gingivitis, tooth loss, periodontal disease, or an infection that could cause your pet to have difficulty eating.

If you do not know what periodontal disease is, no worries, it will be explained shortly. However, you must be aware that the plaque buildup that you allow to accumulate can cause pain to your furry friend. It could cause gingivitis, which is an inflammation of the gums. From there, it can cause periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is nothing to joke with or neglect. This can destroy their heart, kidneys, and liver if left untreated. Periodontal disease destroys the tissues around the teeth and damages the bone as well. Having this disease does not only affect their teeth and gums, but also their whole body. Why put your furry friend through all of that pain?

So hopefully this answers your question of whether or not it is a necessity to have your dog’s teeth to be cleaned. Having your dog’s teeth cleaned will make things a lot easier for you and your dog in the long run. It is very important to pay attention to your dog’s mouth moving forward if you have not already.

Is Dental Care For Your Dog Worth It

All of this talking about your dog’s teeth cleaning but for the price is it worth it or can you still maintain clean and healthy teeth with just a brushing? People who groom their dogs frequently would not think that the groomers would do a not so great job or basic only front teeth brushing for their pets. So you would think a brushing at home or groomers would suffice?

Even though brushing your dog’s teeth is a great nightly routine to implement for your dog. You are not going to be able to get in every crevice of their teeth to get a deep cleaning. The vet offices have the special equipment that is needed to successfully clean your dog’s teeth.

Do not get the idea that a brushing is not worth doing because it is. It ensures that your dog has no infection, inflammation, or foul breath. Although, like with human dental care, the dreading of the bill comes around and this is when the question of is dog dental care worth the price?

It would be a great idea to get some sort of a pet insurance to lower your payments for your dog’s cleaning. The prices vary depending on location but an estimate of what to expect for the cost of your dog’s teeth cleaning will be discussed.

How Often Should You Get Your Dog’s Teeth Cleaned

Even though a dog’s teeth cleaning can seem costly without pet insurance, depending on where you live, the good news is that you only need to visit the dentist for your dog at least once a year.

This is why it is still so important to brush your dog’s teeth daily. Since you are only getting your dog’s teeth deep cleaned once a year you need to make sure everything is staying healthy and strong. Make sure they have no infections or inflammations. It is also wise to keep track of their eating habits.

Your dog’s teeth cleaning should not be a hassle to take care of. This could prevent some very costly operations that could occur if you do not take the necessary steps to taking care of your dog’s dental health.

If your dog is under the age of 2, just be aware that getting a teeth cleaning does require being under anesthesia. So it may be wise to wait a bit until they are strong enough to handle it. At the age of 2, your dog should be strong enough to handle the anesthesia. However, if you still have concerns you can always ask your vet.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things as pet parents that have to be taken care of so that your dog can live a happy and healthy life. Excluding proper dental care can cause that not to happen. You should now have a better understanding on what to expect when it comes to your dog’s teeth cleaning.

Do not be afraid to ask questions if problems arise. Making sure dental health for your dog fits into your lifestyle and budget is very important. No one wants to go broke taking care of their pet so implementing the preventative dental care tips can be very beneficial to you. Your furry friend will be very grateful to you.

Sources

VCA Hospitals
The American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club