WELCOME TO
Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists
When it comes to your dog or cat's dental needs including cleanings, extractions, oral surgery, oral cancers and other pet dental conditions, you can count on us for the highest level of care and expertise. Our team of veterinary dental specialists is here to provide the highest quality of dental care for your dog or cat.
Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists provides services in Gilbert, Peoria, Scottsdale, and Tucson. Learn more about us and our veterinary dental services today.
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We Specialize In
Veterinary Dentistry & Oral Surgery
At Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, we are equipped to treat all aspects of oral health for your pet, including oral surgery, root canal therapy, periodontal surgery and metal crown restorations. We use materials and techniques that are current with the latest research and published data in the field of veterinary and human dentistry. All of our veterinary dental offices use state of the art anesthetic monitoring systems to provide us with continuous readings of the dog or cat's vital organ systems. These monitor the EKG, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, oxygen saturation and amount of carbon dioxide exhaled. With these values, we are able to treat abnormalities before they can compromise the patient’s safety. Our clinics are also equipped with in-house blood machines that help evaluate a pet's vital organs prior to anesthesia. We work closely with referring veterinarians and other specialists to make sure our patients receive quality veterinary dental care.
For Referring Veterinarians
Forms for Referring Veterinarians
For Referring Veterinarians
Veterinarian Referral Form
For Referring Veterinarians
Forms for Referring Veterinarians
For Referring Veterinarians
Veterinarian Referral Form
Our Veterinary Dental Services
Advanced Oral Surgery
In addition to treating dental conditions—our doctors perform advanced oral maxillofacial surgeries (OMFS) such as tumor removals, fracture repairs, salivary gland surgery, and trauma reconstruction. We use many of the same diagnostic and sterile surgical treatment methods that human surgeons use, such as standard computed tomography (CT), cone beam CT, piezoelectric surgical units, and bone plating with titanium plates specially made for the oral maxillofacial region. In our Gilbert location, Dr. Balke is pursuing additional, advanced training in OMFS. This fellowship in veterinary OMFS destination is currently held by less than 30 veterinary OMFS fellows worldwide.
Tooth Extractions
Routine tooth extractions can typically be performed by a primary care veterinarian, but in the event of severe disease or damage, extractions may be referred to a veterinary dental specialist.
Most tooth extractions require an incision of the gingiva and minimal removal of bone to ensure extraction of the entire tooth. Care should be taken especially when extracting mandibular canines and first molars, as improper technique can lead to jaw fractures.
Surgical extraction sites are sutured closed to prevent complications during the healing process. The sutures dissolve and fall out over a period of 2-6 weeks.
Root Canal Treatment (Endodontics)
Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of the pulp (the innermost layer of the tooth containing nerves and vessels). When the pulpal tissue is compromised and the vitality is destroyed, the tooth dies, and infection may occur. In these cases, endodontic treatment, such as root canal treatment, is necessary to preserve the teeth and prevent extraction.
Pet root canal treatment is a potential alternative to tooth extraction. This procedure removes the pulp of a tooth, thereby removing the nerves and the infected tissue. The aim of root canals is to remove the pain and infection inside the tooth and roots, allowing the tooth to remain inside the mouth. Crowns are typically recommended after a root canal is performed to help protect the teeth from further damage.
Periodontal Therapy and Surgery for Dogs and Cats
Depending on the extent of a pet’s periodontal disease, veterinary dental specialists may be able to save some of a dog's or cat's diseased teeth from extraction. Due to the advanced treatments available through a veterinary dental specialist, when periodontitis is present, treatment options may be employed to save the teeth. Teeth with gum recession, root exposure, or periodontal pockets may be candidates for periodontal surgery. Advanced periodontal procedures, such as gingival flap surgery and bone grafting, can be used to regenerate periodontal tissues and save teeth.
The pet patient’s overall health, the cost of specific treatments, and the pet owner’s willingness to provide daily oral hygiene at home are considered prior to performing periodontal therapy. Without diligent homecare to keep a pet's teeth clean between their annual vet dental cleanings, periodontal therapy will not be successful, and severely affected teeth will require extraction.
Crowns & Restorations
This area of dentistry deals with the diagnosis and treatment of teeth with restorations and prosthetic crowns to restore teeth to full, functional ability and esthetic appearance.
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a dog or cat's tooth - covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.
A dental crown may be needed for a dog or cat in the following situations:
To protect a weak tooth from breaking
To hold together parts of a cracked tooth
To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of the tooth left
To cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth
Permanent crowns for dogs and cats can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or all ceramic. The most used crowns for pets are metal crowns because they provide the most strength, durability, and protection.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is the area of dentistry concerned with moving and correcting the position or alignment of teeth. Abnormal bites (malocclusions) can develop due to primary teeth being slow or failing to fall out, or because secondary teeth are slow to erupt. Malocclusions tend to be less common in cats than in dogs.
Malocclusions can develop during the transition from primary (puppy/kitten) to secondary (adult) teeth which can be painful for the affected pet without prompt treatment. The primary teeth need to be removed immediately to help avoid the development of severe malocclusions.
Feline Dental Care
Cats can develop numerous dental diseases that affect their quality of life; most felines should receive annual professional dental cleanings. It is also recommended that cats receive dental radiographs (x-rays) with each professional teeth cleaning beginning at one year old. The most common conditions affecting cats’ dental health include:
Feline Tooth Resorption: An extremely painful condition in which the dentin (the main structural component of the tooth) erodes, progressing to the surrounding tooth over time. Dental radiographs (x-rays) are required to properly evaluate this condition. Based on the level of disease, treatment may include complete extraction or crown amputation (removal of the remaining diseased tooth). Restoration of these teeth is not recommended.
Feline Stomatitis: A severe inflammation or ulceration of the oral epithelium (the lining of the mouth) and is a debilitating disease for affected cats. Foul breath, difficulty in eating, and drooling are typical symptoms; large red sores may be visible. Stomatitis requires aggressive veterinary dental treatment. For most cats, extraction of most or all the teeth is the best option to bring relief. Cats that do not respond fully to complete extraction can often be managed by medical treatment as needed.
Tooth Fractures: Any part of a cat’s tooth can be fractured, but the tip of canine teeth (fangs) in cats are most prone to fractures. Since the pulp chamber extends very close to the tip of the tooth in cats, even small fractures can expose the sensitive pulp tissue. This typically leads to infection and death of the pulp tissue (endodontic disease). Any fractured canine tooth in a cat, regardless of the extent of the fracture, should be inspected closely and radiographed to determine whether the pulp tissue is exposed. Based on the results of x-ray and clinical examination, the tooth can be treated with root canal therapy or extracted.
Advanced Dental Imaging - Digital Dental X-rays
Pet dental health care involves more than the portion of the tooth above the gum line. There is a great deal of anatomy that can't be seen without veterinary dental radiographs! Veterinary dental radiography, commonly called “x-rays”, is often used for diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up evaluation of a pet's dental health.
At Thrive Pet Healthcare, our dental specialists use digital X-ray sensors instead of traditional photographic film. Digital radiography provides many more benefits than traditional X-ray film, including:
Provides immediate access to the image.
Allows for digital measurements.
Has the capability for contrast, brightness, or color to be adjusted to provide greater image clarity.
Requires less radiation to produce an image than film radiography.
When performing digital dental x-rays, the digital sensor is placed into the mouth of the dog or cat, providing a clear and well-defined radiograph of the pet’s teeth and jaw. To ensure that these clear, readable images are obtained, the pet must be asleep under anesthesia.
Advanced Dental Imaging – Cone Beam CT
Cone Beam Computed Tomography, or CBCT, provides high quality images of your pet’s mouth. This technology is more effective than standard dental radiographs (x-rays) at diagnosing common oral conditions like periodontal disease, tooth resorption, and endodontic disease. By finding disease earlier, we can treat disease before it becomes severe, which means your dog or cat has a more comfortable and functional mouth! Brachycephalic dogs and cats, like Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Persian cats benefit even more than dogs with longer noses. These short-nosed dogs and cats typically have crowded and overlapping teeth, making standard x-rays look like a jumbled mess! CBCT allows for detailed evaluation of the jawbone and roots in patients with short noses and jaws. CBCT is an especially useful tool when oral or maxillofacial trauma occurs. Precise measurements to evaluate where and how a jaw is fractured, digital 3-D reconstruction, and even 3-D printing can be used to provide the best outcome when injuries occur. Each scan takes less than a minute to complete and uses the same or less radiation than standard dental x-rays for the average patient. Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists is committed to providing the safest and best diagnostic treatment options for your pet and is proud to have advanced imaging like CBCT available for our patients.
Anesthesia for Pet Dental Cleanings & Procedures
At Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, we offer anesthesia for all pet dental cleanings and other procedures. Anesthesia is always a concern for our clients and for our doctors. We practice the safest anesthetic procedures possible, and our doctors and technicians have had advanced training. We have two board-certified anesthesiologists available, by appointment, for high risk patients. We strive to go beyond simply providing safe, general anesthesia for our dentistry and oral surgery patients, and for patients with significant medical illness or simply pet parents that want specialty anesthesia, we can then utilize the services of a veterinary anesthesia specialist. In these situations, a board-certified anesthesiologist can review your pet’s medical records, develop a plan to maximize anesthesia safety and comfort, and be available to discuss your concerns and our plans for your pet’s upcoming procedure. When possible, they will meet with you and your pet prior to anesthesia. Afterward, they will complete a thorough follow up to make sure pain is being adequately managed and your pet’s recovery is going smoothly. This process includes:
A thorough pre-anesthetic physical examination
Administration of advanced anesthetic and pain medications
Intensive monitoring and support based on your pet's individual healthcare needs
Individualized anesthesia and pain management protocols
On site dedicated attention from a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist throughout the procedure
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I bring my pet in because of a broken tooth?
Broken or fractured teeth are a common finding in veterinary practices. Objects that are notorious for breaking teeth include cow hooves, real bones, rocks, ice, large knotted rawhides, and hard plastic/nyla-bones. The result is often fracture of a tooth that may or may not extend into the pulp canal of the tooth. The pulp canal is the chamber within the tooth that houses the pulp tissue, blood vessels and nerves. If the fracture exposes the pulp canal, which houses the blood and nerve supply to the tooth, the tooth will be acutely painful. Most pets, however, do not show obvious signs of tooth pain, even when there is severe dental disease. These pets will typically chew on the other side of the mouth or avoid using the broken tooth until the nerve dies in a matter of weeks to months. Once the nerve dies, the open pulp canal is an area that food, saliva, debris, and bacteria enter the tooth resulting in an infection of the pulp tissue. The root of the tooth then becomes infected and will eventually abscess. The pain associated with the broken tooth changes from an acute pain to a chronic pain. Antibiotics will help control the infection temporarily, but the problem recurs after discontinuing the medication. The infection will persist until the source of the infection, the infected pulp, is removed either by extracting the tooth or by root canal therapy. We advise root canal treatment for most abscessed teeth.
Does my pet need to have regular checkups for gingivitis or periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease is considered by many veterinarians to be the most common disease that affects pets. Most cats and dogs develop plaque, calculus, and gingivitis by the time they are 1 year of age. Lack of oral hygiene is probably the most significant reason for the development of periodontal disease in companion animals. Periodontal disease results in inflammation and destruction of the tissues around the tooth. The periodontal tissues include: the gums, connective tissue, and alveolar bone (tooth socket). Gingivitis, inflammation of the gums, is the first stage of periodontal disease. As periodontal disease progresses there is destruction of tissue attachment between tooth and the surrounding tissues. There is visible inflammation and the loss of bone around the tooth. The loss of gum tissue attachment and bone results in “pockets” of disease below the gum line. This is called periodontal disease. Untreated periodontal disease is a constant source of infection for the rest of the body. Eventually, it leads to weakened areas of bone, mobile teeth, and tooth loss. Keeping your pets teeth clean is the best way to treat and prevent periodontal disease. Because, the periodontal disease is hidden below the gum line, a professional teeth cleaning with dental x-rays, under anesthesia is the only way to properly diagnose and treat periodontal disease.
Does my pet need a veterinary dentist?
Most veterinarians perform general dental examinations, teeth cleaning and extraction of diseased teeth. A veterinary dentist is a veterinarian that has completed additional training and board certification in dentistry. Since the veterinary dentist is trained in oral surgery, medicine and dentistry, a wide range of special treatment options can be offered for dogs and cats with oral and dental problems. In some instances a veterinary dentist can offer alternatives to tooth extraction not available at a general veterinary office.
Are there alternatives to extracting my pet's teeth?
Often there are alternatives to extraction of teeth that we can offer in our office. We can perform advanced procedures such as root canal treatment and crown restoration to save broken or abscessed teeth. Gum surgery and tissue regeneration surgery can be performed to save teeth affected with advanced periodontal disease. These special procedures are not available at most veterinary clinics and extraction is often advised by the attending veterinarian. Referral to veterinary dentist for a second opinion may offer alternatives to save teeth that otherwise would be extracted.
Does my pet need anesthesia for their dental procedure?
A complete dental examination, teeth cleaning, and dental x-rays cannot be performed on a dog or cat without anesthesia. Groomers or other organizations which claim to clean a pet’s teeth do not clean between the teeth, under the gum-line or take x-rays of the teeth. Not cleaning these areas will lead to chronic periodontal disease. This chronic infection under the gum line will lead to abscessed teeth and can harm the heart, kidneys and other vital organ systems. Anesthesia is most clients’ number one concern and most common reason for resisting having dental procedures done on their pets. We recognize this is a legitimate concern for pet owners and try to make every attempt to make anesthesia as safe as possible.
Is my pet too old for Anesthesia?
We frequently meet pet owners worried about anesthesia since another veterinarian has previously told them that their pet was "too old for anesthesia." Let's consider the facts with regard to age and anesthesia risks. Age is not a disease and does not directly reflect health status. We all know of healthy older people (or pets) and young people with poor health. Our doctors prefer to evaluate each pet individually to accurately assess health status. Anesthesia is individualized for patients based on their health. Health problems are addressed with well-planned anesthesia protocols. Our doctors choose anesthetic drugs based on the pet's health status to help avoid problems with anesthesia. Fortunately patients with health problems can have safe anesthesia and receive excellent dental care! The risks of anesthesia are substantially reduced by the veterinary professionals providing care. Anesthetic related death in pets is estimated to be less than 1%. The likelihood of pain and suffering from untreated disease approaches 100%. We prefer to treat dental disease to avoid unnecessary suffering. It is well worth the risk!