Are issues addressed during my dog's initial oral exam, or do I need to schedule a follow-up appointment?

Most of the time a follow-up appointment would be required. It depends on what the issue is. If it's simple gingivitis, maybe a brief round of anti-inflammatories or antibiotics can be given on that visit and that takes care of the issue. But if there's enough disease there or tartar there that requires treatment or dental cleaning, then, of course, they would have to return at a later date for the process to be done.

The initial oral exam, done without anesthesia, helps us determine if a dental cleaning under anesthesia is needed. So, a follow-up appointment would usually be required for this purpose.

Whether issues are addressed during the initial oral exam depends on what we find. If there are serious problems such as a fractured tooth causing a tooth root abscess, we would start treatments like anti-inflammatories and antibiotics immediately, and schedule a dental procedure. However, for most other findings, treatments would be scheduled for a later date and a dental surgery appointment would be set.

Here at Aspen Vet Clinic, during any of our wellness exams or wellness visits, our doctors are evaluating a full physical exam, including looking at your pet's mouth and oral health. During that initial examination, we can get a pretty good idea of whether or not it's important for your dog to undergo a dental procedure or a dental cleaning in order to properly clean and evaluate the full health of your pet's mouth.