Dental consultation

What it involves

A dental consultation is the first visit, at which the vet assesses the condition of the teeth, gums, tongue and oral mucosa. In an awake animal only part of the problem can be seen: tartar, red gums, broken crowns, defects. What is happening below the gumline and in the bone requires anaesthesia and X-rays — but the consultation lets us establish whether there is any need for them at all.

The result of the visit is a specific plan: whether home dental care and a check-up are enough, or whether dental treatment, extractions or treatment of periodontal disease are needed. We also explain how the pre-anaesthetic assessment works and which tests need to be done beforehand.

We also take a full history: appetite, the way the animal eats, drooling, mouth odour, any treatment so far. Many dental diseases develop silently, so a description of the animal's behaviour at home is as important to us as what can be seen in the mouth.

When it is used

It is worth booking a consultation if you notice that your dog or cat has bad breath, deposits on the teeth, bleeding gums, a broken tooth, drooling or a change in the way it eats. It is also the starting point for any planned dental procedure.

We also recommend it as a preventive measure: for small-breed dogs and cats after 3 years of age, and for puppies and kittens during the teething period (5–7 months of age), to catch retained baby teeth and bite problems.

Indications: symptoms that should prompt a visit

• The dog's or cat's breath smells noticeably bad, even though its food has not changed.
• There is a yellow or brown deposit on the teeth, and the gums next to the teeth are red.
• The animal eats carefully, tilts its head, chews on one side or drops pieces of food.
• The cat or dog drools heavily, sometimes with traces of blood.
• There is a broken or chipped tooth, a dark discolouration of a tooth, or a defect in the crown.
• In a puppy or kitten, a baby tooth is still in place next to the permanent tooth.
• The animal rubs its muzzle against objects, paws at its cheek or avoids having its head touched.

Conditions for which we use it in particular

Diagnostics beforehand

The consultation itself needs no preparation or earlier tests. If a decision is made during the visit to carry out a procedure under anaesthesia, we start the pre-anaesthetic assessment according to standard STD-01: clinical examination, blood count and biochemistry in our laboratory, and for older or higher-risk patients also a chest X-ray, an echocardiogram or a urine test.

Full dental X-rays are taken only under anaesthesia, because they require a sensor to be positioned inside the mouth. That is why at the consultation we tell you what we see and what we expect, and we confirm the final scope of the procedure once we have seen the images.

How it proceeds

Aftercare

After the consultation you receive a written plan. If we recommend only home dental care, we show you how to brush the teeth and which products make sense, and we usually book a check-up in 6–12 months.

Call us sooner if, before a planned procedure, swelling of the mouth, fever, complete refusal to eat or bleeding appears — this may change the order in which we proceed.

Frequently asked questions