Most pets recover from anesthesia 15 to 20 minutes after the procedure. They then rest comfortably in a cage for a few hours for continued monitoring and usually go home the same day. With proper precautions, dental anesthesia is safe as well as necessary.
A dental procedure can vary quite a bit. It usually takes 30 to 45 minutes to get anesthesia, imaging, and cleaning done. It probably takes 45 minutes for most of the cleaning and the recovery.
What happens during a professional teeth cleaning visit for my cat? For proper dental evaluation and care, your cat must be safely placed under general anesthesia. Anesthesia allows the veterinarian to thoroughly examine the mouth, noting any abnormalities in your cat's medical record.
In most situations, the anesthesia your dentist uses will numb the tooth for 1 to 2 hours. Additionally, the following 3 to 5 hours may leave your lips, face, and tongue numb, which can be frustrating if you're attempting to return to normal activities immediately following your appointment.
A Speedy Recovery
Their owners often comment on how much “happier” their cats seem after a dental procedure. Some owners are worried about their cats losing teeth, but in reality cats can easily cope with no teeth at all.
Cat Tooth Extractions: Recovery Expectations
For single extractions, recovery typically takes about one week or less. For cats who undergo multiple tooth extractions and/or have other health conditions, recovery can take a couple of weeks.
Some may not experience pain, especially those with minimal gum pocket depths; they may feel little or no discomfort throughout and after the cleaning process, even without administering anesthetics. On the other hand, some patients experience pain during and after the in-depth dental deep cleaning process.
Some dental patients report experiencing nausea, dizziness, and headaches after getting anesthesia. These side effects are temporary. Blurred vision, muscle twitching, and tingling can occur. Sometimes, patients feel weakness or continued numbness.
At your appointment, our registered dental hygienists will use local anesthetic (i.e., Novocaine) to assure your comfort during the procedure. Of course, nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) and other levels of sedation are available for you.
If your kitty is in good health and your veterinarian has checked your cat's blood work then anesthetic for a dental procedure comes with very little risk. If your cat happens to be sick however, a dental cleaning may not be a good idea until they are well.
With thorough planning, careful attention to detail and appropriate anesthetic plans and monitoring, even very senior pets can safely be anesthetized for dental work. I have performed routine dental procedures on cats as old as 26 without complications!
It's considered very safe, typically has a quick recovery time, and has even been used in animals with heart problems. Your veterinarian will choose the type of anesthesia to use based on his or her experience and your cat.
After a tooth extraction surgery, it is normal for your cat to feel some sensitivity for anywhere from 1 - 2 weeks. For more complex procedures, pain relief medication may be prescribed by your vet for a few days following the surgery. Cats typically don't "chew" their food the same way humans do.
Since dental surgery still involves a general anaesthetic, your pet should fast for 12 hours before the surgery, or whatever your vet recommends.
Dental Scaling and Polishing
However sometimes under all that plaque lurks some unhealthy teeth that may need treatment or extraction. The prices for a scale and polish (including the items mentioned above) are: Cat or small dog $1,300 – $1,600. Medium to large dog $1,400 – $1,800.
In our list above, it's the “inferior alveolar nerve block” (mandibular block) that's singled out as the most painful of the routine injections used to numb up teeth. van Wijk performed a study to determine exactly how much pain is felt when one of these injections is given. It evaluated 230 oral surgery patients.
Local anesthesia fails in 10% of cases of inferior alveolar nerve block and 7% of all cases of local anesthesia in general practice.
While regular cleaning focuses more on the gum line to scale and polish the teeth' outer surface, deep cleaning teeth involves removing bacteria colonies and tartar from the roots of the teeth.
Deep cleaning is a common dental procedure that will not cause your teeth to become loose and certainly won't lead to them falling out. On the contrary, a deep cleaning is instrumental in stopping the progression of gum disease and restoring your gums to health.
While any gum loss experienced due to gum disease will not grow back, the majority of patients can expect their gums to reattach after undergoing a deep cleaning. This is because all of the harmful bacteria has been removed, allowing the gums to once again be healthy.
Based on your pet's health, your vet may recommend cat or dog teeth cleanings anywhere from every six months to every two years.
Cost of Cat Dental Exams & Teeth Cleaning
That hefty cost is mostly due to the general anesthesia, which according to VCA Hospitals is needed to allow the vet to safely and thoroughly examine your cat's mouth for abnormalities, gum issues, and tooth decay.