Dental treatment of animals is a specialised area of practice – Of course in humans dentists are different people to doctors, but vets are expected to cover the whole range of disciplines. As such there are a wide range of standards to which vets carry out dentistry, and at Park Hill we believe that it is essential that thorough and appropriate assessment and treatment is carried out. 

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All animals which require dental treatment will be booked for an initial dental procedure. There is a fixed price for this dependent on the weight of the animal, and includes general anaesthesia, full oral examination, scaling, probing, charting, radiography as appropriate and treatment (usually extractions) which can be completed within 90 minutes. We recommend that all cats have full mouth x-rays because they frequently develop lesions below the gum line which are not visible by inspection. Extractions will be prioritised according to the severity of the dental disease, as the complication rate for dental treatment increases markedly after 90 minutes of operating. 

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The price given includes all consumables and medications used during the procedure but does not include pre-anaesthetic blood testing or medication to go home with, as many animals will not require this.  

After the procedure we will discuss the findings with you with the aid of a detailed dental chart. The chart will show which teeth are/were present, which have been removed (and why), or have lesions which will require subsequent treatment. Any further treatment will be carried out in a procedure on another day, for which a separate estimate can be created. 

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All anaesthetics and procedures have the potential for complications, and the most important to consider in dentistry include, bleeding, swelling, pain, numbness, infection, bone/tooth fracture and damage to surrounding structures. Every effort is made to avoid complications by adhering to procedure, but it is recognised that there remains some risk. There may be additional charges for correcting complications. 

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Longer term, dental health depends on ongoing care at home, ideally brushing the teeth. Other cleaning aids are available and vary in their effectiveness – Despite all efforts a proportion of animals may require repeat treatment subsequently, particularly if they are not amenable to home care.