Questions pet owners ask

Yes. We want Pet Dental of Colorado to be an approachable starting point for dental-health awareness. We're happy to talk through what you've noticed, and when your pet is comfortable, our team can look at accessible areas of the mouth and explain what we see. We don't diagnose dental disease or provide a comprehensive oral exam, and a visual look can't rule out hidden problems. A licensed veterinarian examines and approves each pet before any cleaning.

Anesthesia-free dental maintenance focuses on removing visible plaque and tartar from accessible tooth surfaces, including along the gumline, without cleaning underneath the gums. It's done while a calm pet is awake, after a veterinarian has examined and approved the pet. It's maintenance for appropriately screened pets, not treatment for dental disease.

Yes. Colorado treats teeth cleaning with instruments as veterinary dentistry. Our clinic days will take place at partner veterinary hospitals, where a veterinarian examines and approves each pet before any cleaning and leads the consent conversation. We'll open only once those arrangements are in place.

Appointments are generally scheduled for about 45 minutes. Visits are planned so pets aren't rushed, and we take breaks whenever needed.

Yes. You'll receive a Personalized Dental Report Card with what we observed, what was done, home-care tips, and any recommendations, along with before-and-after photos. Share it with your regular veterinarian so they have the full picture.

When your pet is comfortable with it, we plan to include before-and-after photos with your Personalized Dental Report Card. Photos show visible tooth surfaces only, so they can't show what's happening beneath the gums. We'll only share photos publicly with your permission.

After cleaning and polishing, we take an additional look at the visible tooth surfaces under blue light. It's a visual check only. It doesn't diagnose cavities, gum disease, infection, or hidden problems, and anything that needs a closer look is referred to a veterinarian.

We take a gentle, patient approach and allow pets time to get comfortable. We also incorporate Bach Flower essences into our comfort routine to support a calm, relaxed experience. Your pet's safety and well-being always come first.

We take a gentle, patient approach to every visit, with optional Bach Flower essences incorporated into our comfort routine. They're used only under the supervising veterinarian's protocols. They aren't a sedative or a treatment for anxiety, and they don't replace any medication prescribed by your veterinarian.

We stop. A calm experience matters more than finishing. The veterinarian is informed, and we'll talk with you about next steps, which may include a visit with your own veterinarian.

No. If your pet is in pain, has difficulty eating, significant bleeding, or facial swelling, please contact your veterinarian promptly rather than waiting for a visit with us.

Awake maintenance is only appropriate for pets without dental pain. If a pet shows signs of discomfort, we stop and recommend a veterinary exam, since pain usually means there's a problem that needs proper diagnosis and treatment.

It isn't a simple comparison, because the two do different things. Anesthesia lets a veterinarian examine and treat the whole mouth, including below the gumline. Awake maintenance avoids anesthesia but only cleans accessible tooth surfaces up to and along the gumline. Your veterinarian can help you weigh what's right for your pet.

Each pet is planned to get instruments that have been cleaned and sterilized under a written protocol, with clean and used instruments kept apart and single-use items never reused. The final protocol will be agreed with each partner hospital before we open.

You don't need to know in advance. Tell us about your pet when you book, or ask us a question first. If your pet is comfortable, we may take a gentle look at the mouth, and a licensed veterinarian examines your pet and decides before any cleaning. Not every pet will have a cleaning, and that's okay. More about candidates.

Your pet's safety and comfort always come first. Some pets may not be suitable candidates due to medical or dental conditions, aggressive behavior, or difficulty tolerating handling. Reasons include:

• A known heart murmur or other cardiac condition, under our proposed screening policy
• Other medical conditions identified by the veterinarian
• Advanced periodontal disease
• Loose or fractured teeth
• Signs of oral infection or significant discomfort
• Biting or aggressive behavior
• Severe fear, or being unable to safely tolerate handling
• Any other concern that makes the procedure inappropriate

Every pet is evaluated before treatment, and the supervising veterinarian makes the final decision. When a cleaning isn't right, alternative veterinary care may be recommended.

Not for our service. Pets with any known heart murmur, heart disease, abnormal rhythm, or other heart condition aren't eligible for our anesthesia-free cleaning, and booking will stop if you answer yes. This is our policy; it isn't a statement that these pets can't receive dental care. Your veterinarian can advise on dental care under anesthesia that's right for your pet.

Not yet. Please check with your veterinarian or your pet's records first. A cleaning can't be booked until the heart-history question is answered, but you're welcome to send us a question in the meantime.

Not necessarily. Older pets and pets with health conditions often need the complete exam and treatment that only anesthesia allows. Please talk with your veterinarian, who can weigh the risks and benefits for your pet.

Yes. Cats are considered individually, just like dogs. Cats often hide dental pain, and some common feline dental problems, such as tooth resorption, can only be fully assessed with dental X-rays. A veterinary exam is especially important for cats.

Yes. A nervous pet isn't automatically ruled out, and many settle with time, patience, and breaks. We won't insist on handling: if it becomes distressing, we stop, and we'll talk with you about other options, which may include dental care under anesthesia with your veterinarian. Pets that bite, become aggressive, or can't safely tolerate handling may be declined, or have their appointment stopped, for their safety and ours.

No. Under anesthesia, a veterinarian can probe below the gumline, take dental X-rays, and treat problems. Awake maintenance cleans accessible tooth surfaces up to and along the gumline, without cleaning underneath the gums, and is not a substitute for that care. Your veterinarian can advise what your pet needs. See the comparison.

Plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth every day; brushing can remove it. Tartar (calculus) is plaque that has hardened. It can't be brushed away, and its rough surface collects more plaque. See the illustration.

Much of dental disease happens below the gumline, around tooth roots and bone, where it can't be seen. Dental X-rays, taken by a veterinarian under anesthesia, are often the only way to find problems like infected roots or bone loss. Anesthesia-free maintenance can't assess those areas.

A complete veterinary dental exam, cleaning below the gumline, X-rays, and treatment such as extractions require a pet to be completely still and comfortable, which means anesthesia. Your veterinarian can explain what's right for your pet.

Whenever we notice something that needs a closer look, such as loose or broken teeth, red or bleeding gums, heavy tartar, or signs of pain, we'll bring it to the veterinarian's attention, note it on your Personalized Dental Report Card, and recommend next steps.

We clean accessible tooth surfaces up to and along the visible gumline. We don't clean beneath the gums, perform subgingival scaling, or provide any treatment below the gumline. Those areas require comprehensive veterinary dental care under anesthesia.

Cleaning beneath the gums means working inside the gum pocket around each tooth. That can't be done properly or comfortably in an awake pet, and it needs probing and dental X-rays to guide it. Veterinarians do it under anesthesia.

No. It doesn't prevent, diagnose, or treat dental disease. If we see signs of a problem, we'll recommend a visit with your veterinarian.

A broken tooth should be examined by your veterinarian, because it can expose the sensitive inside of the tooth and may need treatment. We won't clean around it as a substitute for that exam.

Not necessarily. Plaque and disease can exist beneath the gums even when the visible teeth appear clean, which is why regular veterinary dental exams still matter.

We'll explain why, note it on your Personalized Dental Report Card, and the veterinarian will recommend next steps. Whether any fee applies to a visit that doesn't go ahead hasn't been decided yet; we'll publish that policy before booking opens.

Follow the home-care tips on your Personalized Dental Report Card and any instructions from the veterinarian, and contact your veterinarian if we recommended an exam.

It depends on your pet. We'll suggest a timeline based on what we see, and we always defer to your veterinarian's recommendations.

Yes. Brushing is one of the most effective things you can do at home. Our brushing guide walks through how to start.

Contact your veterinarian, and let us know too. Signs like bleeding, swelling, or a pet that stops eating should be seen by a veterinarian promptly.

Once our veterinary partnerships and operating details are in place. Locations and dates will be posted on our locations page.

Our proposed price is $290 per pet. Deposit, payment, and cancellation policies will be published before appointments open.

Those policies haven't been set yet. We'll publish deposit, payment, cancellation, and refund policies before booking opens, and you'll see them before you book.

In three steps: choose an appointment (clinic, date, and time), tell us about your pet (your details, a short health questionnaire including a required question about heart history, and consent), then review and confirm. Every cleaning still depends on the veterinarian's exam at your visit. Until booking opens, send us a message with any questions.

Clinic locations and dates will be posted on our Locations page. If there isn't one near you yet, you can request a clinic in your area. It only takes your city or town.