A Healthy Smile Starts with a Careful Plan
When most people think about a dental procedure for their pet, they imagine a single visit where everything is done at once. While that approach may seem simpler, we’ve chosen a different path—one that allows us to provide the safest, most thorough, and most personalised care possible.
That’s why we perform dental procedures in two stages.
Think of it as the veterinary equivalent of inspecting a house before starting renovations. We want to fully understand what’s happening beneath the surface before making any major treatment decisions.
Stage One: The Dental Investigation
The first procedure is all about gathering information and giving your pet’s mouth a fresh start.
Under a general anaesthetic, we will:
Carefully examine every tooth
Professionally clean the teeth above and below the gum line
Take dental X-rays of any teeth that may have disease hidden beneath the gums
Many dental problems can’t be seen simply by looking into the mouth. In fact, much of the disease affecting a tooth occurs below the gum line, where it remains invisible until X-rays are taken.
Once your pet has recovered from their anaesthetic, we’ll review the findings and discuss what we’ve discovered.
Stage Two: Targeted Treatment (If Needed)
Sometimes we find that additional treatment is required. This may include tooth extractions and further treatment of periodontal disease
Rather than making these decisions while your pet is already under anaesthetic, we take the time to discuss the findings with you first. You’ll receive a clear explanation of our recommendations and an estimate before any further treatment is performed.
If additional work is needed, we’ll schedule a second procedure dedicated entirely to those treatments.
Why Don’t We Just Do Everything at Once?
It’s a great question—and one we hear often.
🐾 Better Treatment Decisions
Dental X-rays frequently reveal surprises that aren’t visible during an awake examination.
Waiting until we have complete information allows us to create the most appropriate treatment plan for your pet rather than making assumptions beforehand.
🐾 Clear Communication
We believe pet owners should understand exactly what treatment is being recommended and why.
The two-stage approach allows us to discuss our findings with you, answer your questions, and ensure you’re comfortable with the plan before any additional procedures are performed.
🐾 Dedicated Time for Each Stage
Assessing dental disease and treating dental disease are both important tasks.
Separating these stages allows our team to dedicate appropriate time, attention, and resources to each part of the process.
🐾 No Added Financial Burden
Many owners are surprised to learn that the overall cost of splitting the procedure is generally comparable to performing everything at once.
Our goal is not to increase costs—it’s to ensure we can provide the highest standard of dental care while keeping your pet’s welfare at the centre of every decision.
🐾 No Cumulative Anaesthetic Risk
A common concern is whether two anaesthetic procedures are more dangerous than one.
Current evidence indicates that there is no cumulative risk simply because an animal undergoes more than one anaesthetic procedure. Each anaesthetic event is assessed and managed individually.
Our Philosophy: Safety, Transparency, and Better Outcomes
Every recommendation we make is guided by one simple question:
“What is in the best interest of your pet?”
By performing dental procedures in two stages, we’re able to gather complete information, communicate clearly with you, and provide focused treatment tailored to your pet’s individual needs.
Because every wagging tail, happy purr, and healthy smile deserves our very best.