The cost of a pet dental is one of the most common questions we are asked. Unfortunately, while we would all like a quick and easy answer, the cost can vary widely for many reasons. Here’s why.
You Need A Good Look To Estimate The Cost
If I rang my mechanic and asked how much it would cost to fix my car, they would need to have a look to work out what was wrong with it. The same goes for your pet’s mouth (and living creatures are arguably more complicated than cars) – it is impossible to tell what needs to be done without having a good look. Dogs have 42 teeth (that’s 10 more than a human!), while cats have 30 teeth, and we cannot tell which ones have problems without getting a really good look.
Examination Under Anaesthesia
While we can generally get a fair idea during an awake examination, most animals won’t sit with their mouths wide open while we check around the backs of each tooth with a dental mirror (many people even struggle with letting their own dentist do this!). Besides, about two-thirds of the tooth is below the gumline, buried in the jawbone, and therefore impossible to see without x-rays.
Unlike humans, dogs and cats need to be under a full general anaesthetic for us to examine their teeth thoroughly and without pain or stress.
Why Do Pet Dental Estimates Vary Widely?
So what goes into the cost of a pet dental, and why can it vary so much between vets? As always, you need to check what an estimate includes, as different levels of service are provided.
What’s Included?
An estimate may or may not include pre-anaesthetic blood testing, an individually tailored anaesthetic protocol, continuous anaesthetic monitoring (by a human, not just a machine), intravenous cannulation and fluid support (an IV drip), local nerve blocks, antibiotics, pain medication and postoperative care.
Dental X-rays and Other Imaging
The availability of dental X-rays is an important factor, not only for diagnosis but in case surgical complications arise, and X-rays are suddenly needed.
CT scans are also available at our hospital.
Surgery and Anaesthesia Time
Anaesthesia and surgery are big expense items in dental surgery.
Anaesthesia rates can vary hugely based on the protocols and the level of anaesthetic expertise. At Sydney Pet Dentistry, you can elect to use a specialist anaesthetist if your pet is at increased anaesthetic risk or simply for peace of mind.
Dental extraction (like wisdom tooth surgery in humans) can be complex. The ability to extract teeth quickly and efficiently is very important and is very much based on skill and experience.
With our experience and training, we operate very efficiently; meaning less time under anaesthesia and a quicker recovery from surgery. This is especially helpful in older pets and those with other health problems.
So, when you are wondering how much your pet’s dental will cost, remember your vet needs to have a good look, and you need to check what is included in the estimate.
Our Latest Cost Estimates
Visit our pricing page for more details on the costs of our services.
