A cracked tooth or a stubborn abscess can turn a routine checkup into an urgent conversation about surgery, and that shift often catches pet owners off guard. One minute you are talking about a dental cleaning, and the next you are hearing words like extraction, sedation, and jaw radiographs, all while your pet sits quietly beside you, unaware that anything is wrong. It’s a lot to process, especially when you’re trying to figure out what is truly necessary versus what feels like an upsell.
At Montgomery Veterinary Hospital, we understand that dental care decisions come with real anxiety attached. We built our approach around being upfront with you from the start, walking through exactly what we see on the radiographs, why a tooth needs to come out, and what recovery will look like before you ever say yes to a procedure. Dr. Melissa Grech-Attard and Dr. Jessica Fabiano have performed dental surgeries for years in Montgomery and throughout Orange County, and they believe every pet owner deserves a clear, honest explanation, not a sales pitch.
Dental surgery covers more ground than most people expect. It can mean removing a single fractured tooth, extracting several teeth affected by advanced periodontal disease, or addressing a retained baby tooth that never fell out on its own. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, periodontal disease is the most common dental condition in dogs and cats. By the time a pet is three years old, it will likely show early signs of the disease, which worsen with age if effective preventive measures are not taken.
That progression matters because periodontal disease does not just affect the mouth. It has also been associated with changes in the kidneys, liver, and heart muscle. This is part of why we do not treat dental surgery as a cosmetic afterthought. We treat it as part of your pet’s overall health picture, just as we would any other internal medicine concern.
Every dental surgery we perform starts with a thorough oral exam and dental radiographs, since so much disease hides below the gumline where you cannot see it. From there, we talk you through what the images show and what your options are. We never rush this conversation, even on a busy day, because we know you are deciding for a family member who cannot speak for themselves.
Many practices in this area refer out dental surgery cases, which means an extra trip, an unfamiliar team, and a delay in care. We do things differently. Dental surgery is one of several procedures we handle directly in our surgical services, alongside soft tissue surgery, mass removals, and wound repair. Keeping this work in-house means your pet stays with a team that already knows their history and their temperament, which reduces stress on an already difficult day.
We are also Fear Free certified, so every step, from the initial exam to the recovery room, follows a low-stress approach designed to keep anxious pets as calm as possible. For clients whose pets get especially worked up at the mere mention of a car ride to the vet, this certification tends to make a real difference.
Anesthesia is a necessary part of any dental surgery, and we know it is often the piece that worries owners most. Anesthesia-free dental cleanings are not recommended because they do not allow cleaning or inspection below the gumline, where most dental disease occurs, and they can cause injury to the pet or the person performing the procedure. We take anesthesia seriously, monitoring vitals closely throughout every procedure, and most pets go home the same day, just a little sleepy from the sedation.
Pets are experts at hiding pain, so the signs of a dental problem are not always obvious. A few things worth watching for include the following:
If you notice any of these signs, it is worth scheduling an exam sooner rather than later. Catching dental disease early often means a simpler, less invasive procedure than waiting until the problem has progressed.
We also see a fair number of pets whose dental issues surface during routine dental care visits or standard dental cleanings. Sometimes what starts as a cleaning turns into a conversation about extractions once we get a closer look with radiographs. We always keep you in the loop before moving forward with anything beyond the original plan.
Before any dental surgery, we run a pre-anesthetic exam and bloodwork to confirm your pet is a good candidate for sedation. This step matters most for senior pets or those with existing health conditions, and it gives us a clearer picture of what precautions to take during the procedure. We also talk through pain management ahead of time so you know what to expect once your pet is home.
Recovery after dental surgery is usually straightforward. Most pets are back to their normal selves within a day or two, though we recommend softer food for a short stretch while the mouth heals. We send every client home with clear aftercare instructions and a direct line to call if anything seems off, because we would rather answer a quick question than have you worry unnecessarily overnight.
For pets managing pain from more advanced dental disease or recovering from a recent extraction, our on-site laser therapy can also help reduce inflammation and speed healing without an added referral or trip elsewhere.
Dr. Melissa Grech-Attard built Montgomery Veterinary Hospital on the belief that every pet deserves honest, down-to-earth care from a veterinarian who genuinely cares. That philosophy shapes how we handle every dental surgery case that comes through our doors. Whether your pet needs a single extraction or a more involved procedure, we take the time to explain what is happening and why, so you never feel like you are just signing a form and hoping for the best.
If you have noticed signs of dental trouble in your dog or cat, or if a recent exam turned up something that needs a closer look, we would like to help. Contact us to schedule a dental evaluation for your pet, and let’s figure out together what care actually makes sense for them.
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