Quote Originally Posted by dragondawg
The most important thing is to look at the gum lines. If the gum lines look inflammed then it's probably time for a cleaning. My Clover had her's cleaned about 1 yr ago while getting a minor surgical repair after getting into an arugment with some barb wire- she lost. Her little brother Barney hasn't been cleaned yet. My previous dog had 2 cleaning in 11 yrs. The cleanings should cost around $80. The important thing is to keep gum infections down, as staph infections in the gums tend to find their way to such places as heart valves.

How often an animal needs a dental depends on the individual. As a general rule cats and small dogs need teeth cleaning more often, but there are exceptions.

If animals aren't given vet done dental cleanings at the first sign of trouble, things can get much worse. We've had several people recently who's pets have DIED from not doing the dentistries when we recommended it. From that point the bacteria got into the gums and caused all kinds of havoc with the heart/kidneys/liver etc. If you think about how your mouth would look/smell if you never brushed your teeth for a few years, it's just as bad for animals. Not only can it cause bad breath, but left untreated bad teeth/gums can kill your pet.

The ONLY way to have the teeth properly cleaned is by a licensed veterinary dentist and done under anesthesia, anything less is not getting the job done in any significant way. American Veterinary Dental College

Once your pets teeth have been professionally cleaned then a regular brushing routine will help keep tartar off the teeth. Brushing teeth yourself will NOT remove the tartar, it has to be scraped off. Starting a brushing routine when your pet is very young is the best way too keep teeth healthy longer.

Every vet charges different prices based on his/her overhead. A larger building, more staff, more equipment, longer hours, bigger city, etc results in a generally higher fee. A phone call to other area hospitals should get you a rough idea what the average charge for a dentistry is.