Focus on Pet Dentistry

We practice the highest standard of care for all dental procedures

We now know that dental health plays in the overall health of our dogs and cats. The latest statistics say that approximately 75% of all dogs and cats over 3 years of age suffer from dental disease and we want to help put an end to that!

Dr Robert Kay and our team of vets take great pride in having a full suite of the latest dental equipment to make sure you pet gets the best in pet dentistry! This includes using a nerve blocks for any necessary dental extractions. We take x-rays of all teeth during the dental procedure so we can pick up any root disease that may be hidden by otherwise healthy looking gums.

Despite being considered routine procedures, we take our role seriously and do our best to show you how to look after your pet’s teeth long term. Our dentals are ‘day procedures’ and require a general anaesthetic and hospitalisaton for the full day to allow us to monitor your dog or cat’s comfort prior to, during and then after their procedure.

Visit us for a FREE dental check!

$100 off
  • all dental procedures for June and July 2024
  • All dental procedures include full dental charting, full mouth scale and polish and dental x-rays where required
Call 9123 6888 to book your FREE dental check today

Benefits of Dental Health

We know that poor dental health can have serious effects on the heart, liver, kidneys and overall health of our pets. We’ll work with you to help ensure their dental health for life!

Patient Comfort

Comfort is key! We provide all of our patients with high levels of ‘peri-operative’ pain relief as research shows that the more comfortable they are, the quicker they recover!

Anaesthetic Safety & Monitoring

We use the latest in anaesthetic protocols, techniques and monitoring to make your pet’s anaesthetic as safe as possible.

Pre Anaesthetic Care

We understand that dental surgery for your pet can be daunting and scary. The aim of our pre-surgery care is to minimise your concerns and prepare your pet for a safe and stress free dental procedure.

Prior to the day of your pet’s dental procedure, one our team members will give you a call to remind you of your pet’s dental treatment date, admission time and to answer any questions you may have. A text message and email will also be sent as a helpful reminder as well.

The main points to remember are to:

  • Withhold food on the day of the procedure;
  • Water is ok up until you leave the house to come to the clinic;
  • Take your pet for a short toilet walk prior to arriving at the clinic;
  • Arrive at the clinic at your scheduled appointment time.

When you arrive at the clinic one of our nurses will take your dog or cat through to the hospital straight away, so that they can avoid any disturbance in the waiting room and have more time to settle into their respective hospital ward.

A nurse will then explain to you the procedure for the day and take you through some paperwork, including:

  • the recommended option to perform a blood test prior to the anaesthetic to help increase your pet’s anaesthetic safety
  • Answer any questions about what will happen during the procedure
  • Ensure vaccination, flea and worm treatment is up-to-date to prevent cross infection

During the pre treatment consultation with out nurses, you will be offered the choice of performing a blood test.

The blood test is designed to pick up at an early stage any internal health concerns that may affect the anaesthetic. The test includes a check of the liver and kidney values, blood glucose level, electrolyte levels, overall protein level and overall red blood cell count.

The Dental Procedure

We take ananaesthtic monitoring and dental procedures very seriously. We use the latest in recommended anaesthetic techniques and monitoring and have all of the latest dental equipment at our finger tips to make the dental treatments as quick and effective as possible.

We take anaesthetic monitoring extremely seriously and are proud to offer the highest level of monitoring care for you pet.

We go above and beyond the accepted standards to include:

  1. monitoring of oxygen levels via an spO2 probe (called pulse oximetry)
  2. a continuous ECG trace to track the heart’s rhythm throughout surgery;
  3. blood pressure monitoring – this is the key to a successful recovery;
  4. carbon dioxide monitoring to ensure the lungs are able to blow off all harmful gases;
  5. patients are warmed with a ‘bare hugger‘ to prevent deleterious cooling;
  6. all patients receive intravenous fluids to ensure hydration remains perfect;
  7. we use the most modern anaesthetic machines and drug protocols.

Patient comfort is also key and again we go above and beyond! We ensure all patients are kept as comfortable as possible with a combination of local anaesthetic pain relief, opioid pain relief and anti-inflammatory pain relief.

As a routine part of our dental procedures we probe and inspect every single tooth, looking for subtle signs of dental disease or gum recession that is not obvious to the eye. We then chart our findings to keep an ongoing dental record for your pet that we use to monitor their mouth moving forward.

We use high-end digital dental x-rays to inspect the tooth roots where we have a concern about the health of a tooth. That way we can confidently confirm if a tooth needs to be extracted.

In cats, we routinely x-ray every tooth because we know there is often as much disease below the gums as there is on the crown (the visible part of the tooth). That way we make sure we don’t miss any hidden painful roots.

Our vets have all undergone further training in veterinary dentistry. We are backed up with a full dental suite in clinic and use the latest techniques and equipment when performing extractions.

Post Dental Care

We send all of our patients home with a dental pack to help keep their teeth as healthy as possible into the future! We will also send you home with a set of post anaesthetic, treatment summary and dental instructions specific to your pet. It’s then over to you to help them rest and recover.

Our patients generally recover exceptionally quickly from their anaesthetics, so it can be tempting to get back to normal activity straight away. However, remember that whilst dental procedures are considered ‘routine’, it will still take some time for a full recovery.

Please strictly rest your fur child in a warm, calm environoment for the first 1-2 days post general anasesthtic, and possible longer if they have had teeth removed and sutures put in place. This may mean you need to separate them from other pets in the meantime to facilitate the chance to recuperate in peace.

Patient comfort is our priority! All animals that have 1 or more teeth extracted during their dental treatment will receive an oral nerve block during the dental procedure as well as strong pain relief in hospital with us. We then send all patients home with further pain relief to be given over the 3-7 days following surgery.

Most cats and dogs recover extremely quickly from dental procedures and are comfortable within 24 hours after surgery. However, if you feel that your fur child still seems uncomfortable then we always encourage you to contact us for any further advice on providing additional comfort.

We provide a complimentary visit with one of our nurses or vets following all dental procedures. This appointment occurs 3-7 days after surgery.

During the appointment we will further ask you how you think your pet is recovering and then perform a basic health and dental recheck to ensure we are happy with how you fur child is recovering.