Dog & cat dental disease: Signs, professional cleanings, anesthesia, and home care

Why Dental Disease is Serious for Pets

Dental disease begins when plaque and bacteria accumulate on your pet’s teeth and under the gumline. Over time, this leads to inflammation, infection, and damage to the structures that support the teeth.

Because this process happens gradually, many owners don’t realize a problem exists until the disease is advanced. Left untreated, dental disease can lead to:

• Painful, bleeding gums — The oral bacteria irritate the gum tissue, leading to painful, swollen gums that may bleed when your pet eats or chews a toy.
• Loose or missing teeth — As the infection progresses and damages the tooth’s supporting structures, your pet’s teeth may become loose or fall out.
• Tooth root abscesses — If the bacteria invade the tooth root, they can cause an infection. In some cases, the abscess ruptures, causing a draining tract in your pet’s face or jaw. This pathway forms in the skin or tissue to allow pus to drain from the infection to the surface.
• Oro-nasal fistula — The bacteria can also tunnel through the tissue between your pet’s mouth and nose, allowing food and saliva to enter your pet’s nasal cavity, which may result in a respiratory infection.
• Oral tumors — Chronic inflammation from dental disease increases a pet’s risk for oral tumors.
• Organ damage — Periodontal bacteria don’t limit themselves to your pet’s mouth. Left untreated, the infection enters the bloodstream and damages vital organs like the heart, kidneys, and liver.

Signs of Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats

Many pets with dental disease show no signs because they are experts at hiding pain and discomfort. This is why regular dental exams are so crucial to your pet’s health. When the disease progresses, you may notice:

• Bad breath
• Excessive drooling
• Discolored (e.g., yellow or brown) teeth
• Red, swollen gums
• Blood on your pet’s chew toys
• Tilting the head to eat or eating on only one side of the mouth
• Dropping food
• Nasal or ocular discharge
• Facial swelling

How Often Do Dogs and Cats Need Dental Cleanings?

Most pets need a professional dental cleaning every 1-2 years, but small dogs, cats, and certain breeds may need them more frequently. Your veterinarian will recommend a schedule based on your pet’s oral health, age, and risk factors.

What Happens During a Professional Veterinary Dental Cleaning

During a professional dental cleaning, the veterinarian thoroughly examines and evaluates your pet’s entire mouth and oral structures. They also clean your pet’s teeth. Steps involve:

• Conscious oral exam — The veterinarian will examine your pet’s mouth, looking for dental disease signs and any abnormalities.
• Blood work — A professional veterinary dental cleaning requires anesthesia, so the veterinary team will perform blood work to ensure your pet has no underlying health issues that would complicate the procedure.
• Anesthesia — The veterinary team will place an intravenous (IV) catheter and induce anesthesia, monitoring your pet closely throughout the procedure until they are fully recovered.
• Dental X-rays — More than 50% of a tooth’s structure is below the gumline and can only be seen on X-rays.
• Teeth scaling — The veterinary team uses specialized dental instruments to remove plaque and tartar from the tooth surface above and below the gumline.
• Polishing — Scaling leaves microabrasions on the tooth surface, and the veterinary team will polish your pet’s teeth so bacteria cannot adhere to these lesions.
• Periodontal probing — The veterinary team will probe around each tooth, looking for abnormally deep areas and pockets.
• Extractions — In some cases, dental disease damages the tooth and the supporting structures, and extractions are necessary.
• Antibiotic treatment — The veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics if your pet’s dental disease is extensive, especially if they require an extraction.

Why Pets Need Anesthesia for Dental Cleanings

Have you seen advertisements for anesthesia-free dental cleanings? Have you been tempted? It’s important to know that these services do not effectively address your pet’s dental health.

Emily Singler, VMD, a veterinarian and AAHA’s Veterinary Content Specialist, said “without anesthesia, there’s no way to fully assess and address your pet’s dental health. Non-anesthetic dental cleanings may make your pet’s teeth look and smell better in the short term, but they create a false sense of security and don’t really make your pet’s mouth healthier.”

Anesthesia is necessary for several reasons:

• Less stress — From your pet’s perspective, a dental cleaning involves a team of strangers using sharp, pointy instruments near their face. Anesthesia helps prevent unnecessary stress and anxiety.
• Stay still! — The veterinary team needs your pet to remain perfectly still so they can thoroughly examine their mouth and remove plaque and tartar.
• Going the distance — If your pet is not anesthetized, the veterinary team can’t remove the bacteria under the gum line, where the most damage occurs. For a complete dental cleaning, which is needed for your pet’s health, they need to be anesthetized.
• Safety first — Anesthetizing your pet helps prevent injury to your furry pal and the veterinary team. Even the best-behaved pet may lash out or respond negatively due to fear, stress, and anxiety.

Are Anesthesia-Free Dental Cleanings Safe for Pets?

Anesthesia-free dental cleanings only remove visible tartar above the gumline and do not treat the source of dental disease under the gums. Without anesthesia, veterinarians cannot safely take dental radiographs (X-rays), probe for disease, or clean where infection occurs.

How to Care for Your Pet’s Teeth at Home

At-home dental care is also necessary to keep your pet’s mouth healthy. Plaque starts to accumulate only hours after your pet eats, so yearly dental cleanings aren’t enough to prevent dental disease. Ways you can promote your pet’s dental health include:

• Daily brushing — Brushing your pet’s teeth daily is the best way to help reduce plaque accumulation. Use a pet-specific toothbrush with soft bristles that will not irritate your pet’s gums, and never use human toothpaste, which is often toxic to pets. Pet-specific toothpaste comes in flavors such as poultry, beef, seafood, and peanut butter.
• Dental chews — Chewing can help remove some plaque from your pet’s teeth. Choose dental treats and chews with the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s seal of approval that guarantees the product is effective.
• Water additives — Additives that you put in your pet’s water can help reduce plaque accumulation.
• Dental diets — Dental diets are specially formulated to help remove plaque and reduce accumulation. Ask your veterinarian if this food type would benefit your pet.

If you notice bad breath, red gums, drooling, or difficulty eating, schedule a dental exam with your AAHA-accredited veterinary practice. Early dental care prevents pain, tooth loss, and serious health problems and keeps your pet comfortable for years to come.

Article updated 1/26/2026