Pet dental FAQ

You book a time, and Dr. Cooper Wahl brings the practice to you in the Nomad Pet Dental truck, so your pet skips the car ride and the busy waiting room. He checks your pet’s teeth and gums, explains what he finds and recommends next steps, with a quote for any treatment. See how house visits work.

Cats and dogs, and dental care only: dental exams, professional cleanings, dental X-rays, extractions, and at-home dental care coaching. For non-dental concerns, please see your regular veterinarian. Emergencies should go to your regular veterinarian or an emergency animal hospital right away. See all of our dental services.

We visit homes in Denver and nearby communities. See our service areas, or send us a message to check whether we come to your neighborhood.

Pick any open time in our online booking calendar. Prefer to ask first? Send us a message, or call or text (720) 839-8885.

Every pet’s mouth is different, so pricing depends on what your pet needs, such as the procedures, X-rays or bloodwork involved. We give you a quote before any treatment.

You can pay after your visit with Venmo: @Cooper-Wahl. The Pay with Venmo button is on our appointment page.

A proper cleaning means scaling plaque and tartar below the gumline, taking dental X-rays and checking every tooth. Pets won’t hold still for that, and it would be stressful and uncomfortable for them awake. General anesthesia with a breathing tube keeps your pet still, pain-free and protects the airway from water and debris. This is the standard recommended by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC).

No anesthesia is completely risk-free, but careful preparation keeps the risk low. Before any anesthesia we review your pet’s health history and exam findings and recommend bloodwork where appropriate, then tailor the plan to your pet’s age and health. Your pet is monitored throughout. Age on its own isn’t a reason to skip needed dental care, since leaving painful dental disease untreated has risks too.

The AVDC and AAHA don’t recommend it. Scraping tartar off the visible tooth surface makes teeth look cleaner but leaves the disease below the gumline untreated, can’t include X-rays or a full exam, and can be stressful or painful for pets. It can also hide problems, so they get worse without anyone noticing.

After a pre-anesthetic check, your pet is anesthetized and monitored. We take dental X-rays, examine and chart every tooth and the gums, scale above and below the gumline, and polish the teeth. If we find a problem, such as a badly damaged or diseased tooth, we discuss treatment with you. Afterward we go over recovery, pain relief if needed, and home care.

Much of each tooth, including the roots, sits below the gumline where we can’t see it. Dental X-rays show the roots and jawbone and often reveal problems that look normal from the surface, such as root infection, bone loss, or tooth resorption in cats. AAHA recommends full-mouth X-rays as part of a dental cleaning.

Common signs include bad breath, yellow-brown tartar, red or bleeding gums, broken or loose teeth, drooling, pawing at the mouth, dropping food or chewing on one side, and eating less. Many pets hide mouth pain, so they may keep eating even when a tooth hurts. Dental disease is very common in adult cats and dogs.

No. Persistent bad breath is usually a sign of plaque bacteria and gum disease, and sometimes of other health problems. It’s worth having your pet’s mouth checked.

Your pet’s mouth should be checked at every vet visit. AAHA recommends a first full dental cleaning with X-rays under anesthesia by about 1 year of age for cats and small to medium-sized dogs, and by about 2 years for larger dogs. After that, how often your pet needs a cleaning depends on their mouth: some pets need one every year, others less often, and it’s best decided together with your vet.

Yes. Most pets eat well after healing, even with several teeth removed, and many feel better once a painful tooth is gone. We use pain relief, may suggest soft food while the mouth heals, and go over aftercare with you. A recheck makes sure everything has healed.

Daily brushing is the gold standard. Use a soft pet toothbrush or finger brush and a pet toothpaste: never human toothpaste, which isn’t meant to be swallowed and may contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Start slowly with lots of praise, focusing on the outside surfaces of the teeth along the gumline. Our guide to brushing and at-home dental care walks you through it.

Some do help, but they don’t replace brushing or professional care. Look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance, which means the product met standards for reducing plaque or tartar. Avoid very hard chews such as bones, antlers and hard nylon toys, which can break teeth.

Cats get gum disease like dogs, and they’re also prone to tooth resorption, where the tooth structure breaks down from the inside. It’s common in adult cats, painful, and often only visible on X-rays. Affected teeth usually need to be removed. Cats can also get gingivostomatitis, a severe, painful inflammation of the mouth. See how vets grade dental disease in dogs and cats.