What is Dentistry?
Most pet patients seen in veterinary practice today actually need an annual thorough dental exam and cleaning from a veterinary dentistry specialist, which includes supragingival and subgingival cleaning, intraoral evaluation, polishing, and further periodontal therapy. A comprehensive pet dental cleaning at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, involves removal of plaque and calculus either with hand instruments, or sonic/ultrasonic instruments above and below the gingival margin, periodontal probing, intra-oral radiographs, charting, and more involved treatment such as deep periodontal therapy or extractions if indicated.
When it comes to your dog or cat's dental needs including cleanings, extractions, oral surgery, oral cancers and other pet dental conditions, you can count on us for the highest level of care and expertise.
After the initial oral examination is performed, an initial treatment plan is determined. The doctor will discuss different treatment options and the client will be able to decide on a dental treatment plan that best suits their dog or cat. Next, the patient is anesthetized and the initial oral examination is performed before beginning periodontal therapy. After your pet recovers from anesthesia, you will be instructed on how to care for your pet at home.
A comprehensive veterinary dental cleaning is important to your pet's overall health and wellness. At Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, your pet's cleaning includes:
- Complete oral exam and consultation from one of our Board Certified Veterinary Dental Specialists
- All Pre-Anesthetic blood work – We test all organ function prior to anesthesia to identify any abnormalities or risks
- IV Fluids, General Anesthesia & Electronic Monitoring - We are highly experienced in pet anesthesia. Your dog's anesthesia will be individualized to their specific needs and will be closely monitored throughout the entire process.
- Digital Dental X-rays – Dental radiographs allow us to get a full picture of your pet's mouth and identify periodontal disease, fractured teeth or oral cancer that is not visible without x-rays
- Thorough, professional teeth cleaning (prophy) & polishing
- Copies of dental X-rays, EKG, dental and anesthetic charts
- Peace of mind knowing your pet is receiving a comprehensive dental cleaning that can prevent future dental disease and save costs down the road
Meet Our Dentistry Specialists
Curt Coffman, DVM, DAVDC
Mike Balke, DVM
Shawna Sawtelle, DVM
Frequently Asked Questions
We frequently meet pet owners worried about anesthesia since another veterinarian has previously told them that their pet was "too old for anesthesia." Let's consider the facts with regard to age and anesthesia risks. Age is not a disease and does not directly reflect health status. We all know of healthy older people (or pets) and young people with poor health. Our doctors prefer to evaluate each pet individually to accurately assess health status. Anesthesia is individualized for patients based on their health. Health problems are addressed with well-planned anesthesia protocols. Our doctors choose anesthetic drugs based on the pet's health status to help avoid problems with anesthesia.
Fortunately patients with health problems can have safe anesthesia and receive excellent dental care! The risks of anesthesia are substantially reduced by the veterinary professionals providing care. Anesthetic related death in pets is estimated to be less than 1%. The likelihood of pain and suffering from untreated disease approaches 100%. We prefer to treat dental disease to avoid unnecessary suffering. It is well worth the risk! Do we want our companions to live a long life with chronic pain? The services of a Board Certified anesthesiologist are available at our office if requested or needed.
We accept all major credit cards and we offer Care Credit flexible payment plans. Some things in life can be put off. Fortunately, quality healthcare doesn’t have to be one of them. With Care Credit:
- No Interest payment plans (if paid within the promotional period)
- Low monthly payments & no pre-payment penalties
- No annual fees
- Receive application decisions almost instantly
- Start your pet’s treatment immediately
Get approved for Care Credit now by visiting www.carecredit.com
For other financing needs, there is iCare Financial. Based on the treatment plan's amount, you will be set up on affordable monthly payments to pay for the balance. These payments will be deducted from your debit card each month. For more information, please visit www.icarefinancialcorp.com/" or call 1-800-862-7908.