Pet dental care and veterinary dentistry
Dental disease is one of the most common conditions in dogs and cats, and left untreated it causes pain, infection and difficulty eating.
What we do
Our dental services
Our veterinary team offers comprehensive dental care for dogs and cats:
- Complete oral examination
- Professional dental cleaning under anesthesia
- Ultrasonic scaling and polishing to remove plaque and tartar
- Dental X-rays to evaluate teeth below the gumline
- Treatment of periodontal (gum) disease
- Tooth extractions when necessary
- Pain management and local nerve blocks (numbing injections)
- Recommendations for home dental care
When to schedule
Signs of dental disease
Schedule a dental evaluation if you notice:
- Bad breath
- Red or swollen gums
- Yellow or brown tartar buildup
- Difficulty eating or chewing
- Excessive drooling
- Pawing at the mouth
Early treatment helps prevent more serious dental disease and keeps your pet comfortable.
Why the X-rays matter
Much of dental disease is under the gumline
Many important dental problems occur below the gumline, where they cannot be seen during a routine awake examination. A tooth that looks normal on the surface can still have disease affecting the root or surrounding bone.
- A complete oral examination, with each tooth probed and recorded on a dental chart
- Dental X-rays to evaluate the tooth roots and surrounding bone
- Treatment of periodontal disease
- Extraction when a tooth cannot be saved, with local nerve blocks for pain control
- Ultrasonic scaling and polishing
Why it needs anesthesia
A thorough dental procedure requires examining, probing, X-raying, cleaning, and treating the teeth above and below the gumline. This cannot be performed thoroughly and safely on an awake patient.
Anesthetic safety
How we prioritize anesthetic safety
Animal Republic is AAHA-accredited, and careful anesthesia protocols and monitoring are an important part of that standard. Dental patients receive the same level of anesthetic care as surgical patients, including an individualized anesthetic plan, continuous monitoring, active temperature support, and multimodal pain management.
We do not offer anesthesia-free dental cleanings. They cannot provide a complete oral examination or dental X-rays, and they cannot safely clean and treat disease below the gumline.
Common questions
Questions we are asked
Does my pet need anesthesia for a dental cleaning?
Yes. A thorough dental procedure requires examining, probing, X-raying, cleaning, and treating the teeth above and below the gumline. This cannot be performed thoroughly and safely on an awake patient.
How do I know if my pet has dental disease?
Common signs are bad breath, red or swollen gums, yellow or brown tartar, difficulty eating or chewing, excessive drooling and pawing at the mouth. Many pets show very few signs — which is why an oral examination is part of every wellness visit.
Will teeth need to be extracted?
Only when a tooth cannot be saved. We check, record and X-ray every tooth first, and extractions are performed with local nerve blocks and pain management. You will hear what we found and what we recommend before we proceed.
Schedule a dental evaluation
Call (714) 274-9305 to arrange an oral examination, or come and see us at 6937 Warner Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.
- Address
- 6937 Warner Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA 92647 - Hours
- Monday – Saturday, 9 AM – 8:30 PM · Tue to 6 PMSunday: closed.
- Phone
- (714) 274-9305