What is a “Dental” and why are the prices so different from one veterinary hospital to another?

Choosing the right veterinary care for your furry family member is a significant decision. When it comes to dental procedures, the choice between low-cost dentistry and high-quality, comprehensive dental care can have a profound impact on your pet’s overall health and well-being. Let’s explore the differences between these two options to help you make an informed choice for your beloved pet.

Low-Cost Dentistry

First off, there is absolutely a place for Low-Cost veterinary care.  We live in a world where pet owners need options based upon their financial needs for care.  This article is not about shaming Low-Cost care, but moreover offering light to the differences of what is being performed so the pet owners are aware of why the cost is often dramatically different from one veterinary hospital to another.  This discussion is not that cost is not a factor in a client’s decisions; it is to acknowledge that the two procedures are not the same and the oral disease/infection has not truly been evaluated and/or resolved in low-cost procedures.

The unfortunate and most difficult part of educating clients is the fact that the end cleaning often looks the same to them.  The teeth look whiter as the calculus was removed, leaving clients thinking the value and oral health of their pet was completed at a lower cost therefore receiving a better value.

Low-cost veterinary dental procedures may seem like an appealing option at first glance due to their affordability compared to potentially another quote from a neighboring veterinary facility.  We all like to save money or get a good deal. These low-cost services often focus on the basics, such as cleaning your pet’s teeth without the use of preanesthetic testing, dental radiographs, nerve blocks, or dedicated staff for anesthetic monitoring. While they may offer a quick and cost-effective solution, it’s essential to understand the potential drawbacks.

Unfortunately, low-cost dentistry is inherently associated with a lower quality veterinary care unless the facility is subsidized and funded by an outside donor to allow costs to be low.  The fact remains that properly trained staff, quality equipment and surgical tools, safe and customized anesthetic protocols based upon each pet’s specific needs, trained staff that are attending to your pet’s anesthesia status and pain control, etc. all involve time and cost to perform.

Limited Training, Equipment and Diagnostic Capabilities:

• Without dental radiographs, it’s impossible to detect dental problems beneath the gumline, such as hidden cavities, tooth root issues, root fractures, jaw fractures, bone loss or cancer. This can lead to undiagnosed and untreated dental conditions.
• Without trained staff that can properly probe, scale and polish properly, a dental procedure can harm the enamel surface causing permanent damage.
• High speed and properly maintained ultrasonic scaling equipment with a functioning water source.
• Proper lighting and magnification equipment for evaluation and proper extraction techniques. This is especially important in small breed dog and feline dentistry.
• Dental Charting is an essential part of the medical record. This is often incomplete or missing entirely when records are obtained from low-cost facilities.

1. Risk of Anesthesia Complications:
   • Low-cost dental procedures may not prioritize or offer comprehensive pre-anesthetic testing and monitoring, increasing the risk of adverse reactions to anesthesia. Your pet’s safety should always be a top concern.
   • Safe general anesthesia is likely the largest cost of the treatment estimate. Preanesthetic metabolic testing to evaluate liver and kidney function, blood protein, clotting function, heart function, electrolyte imbalances, etc. are essential to knowing how to properly determine which anesthetic agents are safe for an individual pet.
   • Many low-cost procedures do not have a veterinarian or any other trained staff member monitoring the entire procedure tableside while a technician or assistant is cleaning the teeth allowing for increased risk of problems being missed. To save cost, low-cost locations often have the veterinarian seeing appointments or performing other procedures when a pet is under general anesthesia.
   • Intubation and current anesthetic protocols. Many of the older anesthetic medications are still being used despite the risks and complications known with them due to being inexpensive.  There are still many dentistry procedures being performed without gas anesthesia and intubation which protects the airway from the water that is being used during scaling causing bacteria to enter the lungs and result in pneumonia.
   • Proper anesthetic monitoring requires equipment and training to continually monitor the heart rate and rhythm, respiratory changes, blood pressure, oxygen and CO2 levels, etc.
2. Incomplete Treatment:
   • These budget-friendly procedures may focus solely on surface cleaning, neglecting necessary extractions, restorative work, or pain management, potentially leaving your pet with unresolved dental issues.
   • If the disease, infection, fractures, abscess, pain and progression of continued organ damage are still present after the “dental” is completed, I argue that the less expensive service was not actually of value at all and should be considered a loss to the client where those funds could have gone towards resolving the disease instead of giving them a false sense of health improvement for their pet.

Complete Oral Health Assessment and Treatment Procedures

Comprehensive dental procedures performed by experienced and well-equipped veterinarians and certified technicians to ensure the highest standard of care for your pet. Veterinary dentistry skills are only rudimentary when becoming a licensed veterinarian and technician.  To gain these advanced skills and knowledge, there is significant time and cost to obtain these advanced skills to perform high quality dentistry.   Let’s explore the key elements that distinguish high-quality dental care:

1. Preanesthetic Testing: Bloodwork, ECG (electrocardiogram), and heart stress/stretch testing are conducted before the procedure to assess your pet’s overall health and identify any potential risks related to anesthesia.
2. Dental Radiographs: Quality dental care includes dental radiographs (X-rays), allowing veterinarians to identify and treat hidden dental issues, ensuring a thorough and accurate diagnosis.
3. Safe Anesthetic Protocols: Comprehensive dental procedures prioritize the use of safe anesthetic protocols tailored to your pet’s individual needs, minimizing the risk of complications, and ensuring their well-being. The veterinary team creates a plan specifically for your pet based upon exam findings and lab results.
4. Anesthetic Monitoring: High-quality dental care involves continuous monitoring of vital signs during the procedure, with trained staff keeping a close eye on your pet’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and other essential parameters.
5. Nerve Blocks: Nerve blocks are administered to ensure your pet’s comfort during and after the dental procedure. This approach minimizes pain and promotes a smoother recovery.

Investing in comprehensive dental care for your pet provides numerous benefits:

1. Accurate Diagnosis: Dental radiographs reveal hidden problems, allowing for early intervention and preventing further complications.
2. Enhanced Safety: Rigorous preanesthetic testing and monitoring reduce the risk of complications during the procedure.
3. Reduced Pain and Discomfort: Nerve blocks and pain management ensure that your pet is comfortable throughout and after the procedure.
4. Long-Term Savings: By addressing dental issues comprehensively, you can avoid the need for treating the organ damage caused from prolonged infection or emergency care in the future. Prolonged oral infection will lead to a lifetime of organ damage and treatments.
5. Most veterinary hospitals offer payment plan options to decrease the financial stress of quality care.

The Wrap Up

When comparing the cost of low-cost, budget-friendly dental procedures to high-quality, comprehensive dental care, it’s crucial to consider the long-term well-being of your pet. Quality dental care may come with a higher initial price tag, however the value it offers in terms of accurate diagnosis, safety, and overall pet health is significantly improved. Dental health is an essential part of your pet’s overall well-being. I hope this information helps pet owners make informed choices that prioritizes what is best for their individual family and their pet’s health and financial needs.