Dentistry and Oral Surgery for Pets

Bad breath. A sore mouth. A broken or crooked tooth. A fractured jaw. A Board-Certified Veterinary Dentist finds what's really wrong and fixes it, so your pet can eat and play without pain.

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Pick the kind of problem that sounds familiar, and we'll show you the conditions a Board-Certified Veterinary Dentist treats.

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Education

What Is a Board-Certified Veterinary Dentist?

A Board-Certified Veterinary Dentist is a veterinarian who trained for years beyond veterinary school to specialize in one thing: the teeth, gums, and mouth of animals. After earning their veterinary degree, they complete an internship, then a three-year Residency program devoted entirely to dentistry and oral surgery, handle hundreds of complex cases, publish original research, and pass one of the most rigorous board exams in the profession to earn the title Diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC).

It is a small and highly specialized field. There are only about 300 Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists in the entire world. When your regular veterinarian has done everything they can for your pet's mouth, this is who they turn to.

Why a Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists Gets You Answers Faster

In human medicine, you'd see a dentist for a serious tooth problem without a second thought. It works the same way for pets. Most people just don't realize the option is there.

Here is something most pet parents never hear: more than half of veterinary schools spend fewer than four hours teaching dentistry. A general veterinarian does a lot well, but the mouth is rarely where their deepest training is. A Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists has spent years focused on teeth, gums, and oral surgery alone, with dental x-rays, CT and tools general practices don't have on site. A large share of dental disease hides below the gumline where it cannot be seen without imaging, so a Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists often finds the real problem that a routine exam misses. For a lot of pets, that means treating the actual cause instead of managing pain that keeps coming back.

You're Not Leaving Your Primary Veterinarian

Seeing a Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists doesn't mean starting over. Your primary veterinarian stays your pet's main doctor for everything else. We focus on the mouth, keep your veterinarian in the loop after every visit, and hand care back once things are healthy again. It works the same way it does for people. You keep your regular doctor, you just see a dentist/oral surgeon for the specific problem.

What Happens at Your First Visit

Your first appointment starts with a careful look at your pet's whole mouth and a conversation about what you have noticed at home. From there the Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists maps out what is going on and walks you through the options, including whether dental x-rays, CT or treatment under anesthesia make sense. You will leave with a clear plan and a real understanding of what comes next. It helps to bring any records or medications from your regular veterinarian.

What It Costs, Up Front

Specialty care is an investment, and we would rather you know what to expect before anything happens. At your first visit you will get a clear estimate for any recommended imaging, treatment, or surgery, and nothing moves forward without your okay. Many pet insurance plans cover dental care, and our team can walk you through payment options if you need them. Often, treating a problem properly once costs less than years of managing it around the edges.

Services