A lot of pet owners picture a “dental” as a quick teeth clean. In reality, it’s a full medical procedure aimed at finding and treating disease that’s invisible during a normal awake check-up.
Dental disease is one of the most common conditions we see, affecting most pets by age three. Because animals instinctively hide pain, many keep eating normally even with significant disease present — it’s often only once we look properly, under anaesthetic, that the full picture emerges.
Left untreated, it can lead to chronic pain, tooth root infections, bone loss, and a real impact on quality of life and even lifespan, as ongoing infection and pain take a toll on the whole body, not just the mouth.
Why every dental starts with X-rays
About 60% of each tooth sits below the gumline — completely invisible to the naked eye. That’s why every dental at Berwick Veterinary Hospital begins with full-mouth dental X-rays taken under anaesthetic, before any treatment starts.
These reveal things a visual exam simply can’t: root infections, bone loss, tooth resorption (especially common in cats), fractures, and abscesses hiding beneath healthy-looking gums.
A treatment plan built around the findings
Once we’ve reviewed the X-rays, our vets put together a plan specific to that pet — which might mean a scale and polish, treatment for gum disease, extractions, or a combination, depending on what’s actually going on beneath the surface.
Keeping your pet safe throughout
As an ASAV Accredited Hospital of Excellence, your pet’s safety is at the centre of everything we do during a dental procedure.
We recommend pre-anaesthetic blood testing for every patient undergoing a general anaesthetic, as it helps us check organ function and identify any underlying issues that could affect anaesthetic safety. For pets over 7 years of age, this is a standard part of our anaesthetic protocol, given the higher likelihood of age-related changes that aren’t always obvious externally.
During the procedure, every patient receives IV fluid therapy, tailored pain relief, and antibiotics where needed, alongside state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to measure things like heart rate, oxygen levels, and blood pressure throughout.
Each patient is also assigned a dedicated nurse for the full duration of their procedure and hospital stay — someone solely focused on their wellbeing from induction right through recovery, which is just as critical a window as the procedure itself.
Dental Months: July & August
10% off dental procedures, 10% off dental products, and free dental checks! If you’ve noticed bad breath, drooling, or you’re just not sure — book a free check and we’ll talk you through what we find.
You can book online or give us a call on (03) 9707 2655