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Dental Care in Dunbar, Vancouver
Dental disease is the most common medical condition in adult dogs and cats, and the one most often left untreated because the symptoms hide in plain sight. By the time most owners notice the smell, the problem has been building for years. Professional dental cleaning under anaesthesia is the only way to address dental disease properly in dogs and cats, since surface cleaning alone leaves the gum line untouched, which is where most damage actually happens. Dog and cat families across Dunbar and Vancouver's West Side bring their pets to Alta Vista for full dental assessment, cleaning, and the extractions or care plan that follows.
Veterinary dental care for dogs and cats includes professional dental cleaning under anaesthesia, dental radiographs to assess the area below the gum line, ultrasonic scaling and polishing of every tooth surface, a thorough oral examination, and extractions when teeth cannot be saved. Home dental care complements the in-clinic work between visits.
Dental Cleaning Under Anaesthesia
A professional dental cleaning at Alta Vista is performed under general anaesthesia for one practical reason: it is the only way to clean below the gum line where dental disease actually develops. Awake scaling pulls off visible tartar but leaves the deeper periodontal damage untouched, and it cannot include the radiographs that reveal hidden problems. Our dental procedures include a full anaesthetic protocol with continuous monitoring, ultrasonic scaling of every tooth surface, polishing to smooth the enamel, and a careful oral examination of every tooth.
Dental Radiographs (X-Rays)
Dental radiographs reveal what surface examination cannot, including root abscesses, fractured roots, resorptive lesions in cats, and the bone changes that signal advanced periodontal disease. We take dental radiographs as part of the dental procedure so we can plan extractions or other care accurately rather than guess from the visible tooth crown alone. Many tooth roots that look fine at the gum line turn out to need attention once we can see the full picture.
Extractions and Advanced Dental Care
Extractions are part of dental care when a tooth cannot be saved. Loose teeth, fractured teeth, infected teeth, and feline resorptive lesions all reach a point where extraction is the most humane and effective option. Our team performs surgical extractions with appropriate pain management, nerve blocks where indicated, and a careful recovery plan. Most pets eat normally within 24 to 48 hours of an extraction procedure and feel noticeably better in the days that follow.
Home Dental Care and Prevention
What you do at home between dental visits matters as much as the cleaning itself. Daily tooth brushing remains the most effective home dental tool, but it is not the only one. Dental chews, water additives, dental diets, and oral rinses all have a role for pets who cannot tolerate brushing. Our team walks each family through what works for their pet, since the dental routine that works is the one that actually gets done every day.
Signs That Your Pet May Need a Dental Exam in Vancouver
Some signs of dental disease are obvious: bad breath, visible tartar, reluctance to chew hard food, swelling along the gum line. Others are subtler: pawing at the mouth, dropping food, irritability when handled around the face, or weight loss in an older pet who has gradually stopped enjoying meals. Any of these warrants a dental exam, since dental pain is usually well-hidden by the time a pet starts showing it openly.
FAQs
Schedule your pet's dental exam today. Call (604) 221-5858 to bring your dog or cat to Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Dunbar for an oral assessment, a professional dental cleaning, and a long-term dental care plan.