Dog and cat dental cleaning, with the x-rays included
A $49 exam first, then $499 for the cleaning itself, with bloodwork, IV fluids, a technician monitoring anesthesia and full-mouth x-rays. You know the price before we start.
What does a dental cleaning cost?
For a pet with a healthy mouth and no teeth to remove, $548: the $49 pre-dental exam plus $499 for the dental itself. It’s the same price for a cat and a large dog, because every tooth gets the same cleaning, probing and x-rays either way.
Step one, the $49 exam. A few days before, the doctor examines your pet’s mouth, decides whether they’re a good anesthetic candidate, and gives you a written estimate. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork is drawn at this visit once you decide to go ahead.
Step two, the $499 dental. It includes pre-anesthetic bloodwork, calming medication, an IV catheter and fluids, full anesthesia with a technician whose only job is monitoring your pet, scaling above and below the gumline, polishing, fluoride, full-mouth dental x-rays, and the doctor’s review of the findings with you.
Step three, extractions, only if needed. Extractions, antibiotics and pain medication are extra, and no one can price them before the x-rays. During the procedure the doctor calls you with what the x-rays show and what it will cost, and the work waits for your answer. X-rays taken after extractions are charged separately; the full-mouth x-rays before the cleaning are always included.
Pets who have gone years without a dental usually need teeth out. In a three-month dental program for pets over five across both our hospitals, 47 procedures averaged just under $2,000. That figure includes pets who needed nothing at all; it is an average, not a typical bill.
Is anesthesia safe for my pet?
This is the worry that stops most people. It deserves a straight answer.
- We check the bloodwork firstIt shows how the liver and kidneys will handle the anesthetic drugs, and it catches the problem that changes the plan before we start.
- An IV catheter and fluids, every patientThe catheter gives immediate access to a vein if it’s needed. Fluids hold blood pressure up, which protects the kidneys.
- A technician in the room, hands on your petHeart rate and rhythm, oxygen, blood pressure, temperature and breathing are tracked continuously for the whole procedure.
- Age alone isn’t a reason to say noA ten-year-old with clean bloodwork is often a lower risk than a young pet with an untreated problem. We tell you plainly if we think the risk outweighs the benefit.
Is anesthesia-free dental cleaning the same thing?
No. Anesthesia-free dental cleaning scrapes the visible surface of the teeth while a pet is awake and held still. It makes the teeth look cleaner and treats none of the disease, because most dental disease is below the gumline. Full-mouth dental x-rays aren’t possible on an awake pet, so infected roots and painful teeth go unseen and stay in the mouth. It is a cosmetic procedure, not a gentler version of a dental cleaning.
Does my pet need a dental?
By three years old, most dogs and cats have some periodontal disease. Pets rarely stop eating from dental pain; they eat around it. Signs to look for:
- Bad breath. Healthy mouths don’t smell.
- A red line where the gum meets the tooth
- Brown or yellow buildup on the teeth
- Chewing on one side or dropping food
- Pawing at the face or flinching when the muzzle is touched
- A loose, broken or discolored tooth. A broken tooth with the pulp exposed is painful and shouldn’t wait.
Not sure? Lift your pet’s lip, take a photo of the teeth and gums, and email it to petcare@dunedinamc.com. One of our veterinarians will tell you whether it’s worth booking, including when it can wait. There’s no charge.
What happens on the day?
Dentals are Monday through Friday. Drop off between 6:30 and 7:30am on your way to work, and your pet usually goes home the same afternoon with written aftercare instructions. We’re open seven days a week, so if something worries you on a Sunday morning, you reach the team who did the procedure.
We don’t provide overnight care. If your pet is already booked into our boarding, they recover here and carry on with their stay.
Paying for it
Many of our clients find that financing part or all of the procedure through Cherry works best for them. According to Cherry, the application takes under 35 seconds from start to finish, and “Cherry performs a soft credit check which does not affect your credit score.”
We also accept CareCredit and Scratch Pay, and cash, cards and checks at the counter.
Common questions
Is the $49 exam on top of the $499?
Yes. They’re two visits. A pet who needs no teeth removed comes to $548 in total. The exam is the only honest way to give you a real price for your pet.
Will you call me before doing extractions?
Always. We call once we have the x-rays, tell you what we see and what it will cost, and wait for your decision.
My pet is over ten. Will you still do it?
Yes. Older pets and mouths with advanced disease are the patients who need treatment most, and we handle them routinely.
Does my pet need to be up to date on vaccines?
Dogs need a current rabies vaccine and heartworm test; cats need a current rabies vaccine. If anything is out of date, it can be done at the $49 exam.
How often should my pet have a dental?
It varies. Some pets need one a year, some small breeds more often, some go years. We’ll give you a realistic interval for your pet.
Request a dental exam
Tell us about your pet and we’ll confirm a time the way you ask. Your date and window are a request, not a confirmed appointment.