Skipping Your Pet's Dental Care?
The Hidden Cost of Doing Nothing
Routine dental care for our pets isn’t just about fresh breath or cosmetic improvement - it’s about preventing pain, complications, and serious health risks. Pets often hide dental discomfort allowing problems to silently progress until they require invasive, costly treatments.
Why Acting Early Matters
Dental disease is extremely common - affecting over 80% of dogs and cats by age three. Left unchecked it can lead to:
Chronic, hidden pain
Tooth loss and eating difficulties
Bacteria entering the bloodstream and airways, potentially damaging the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver
Procedures such as extractions or oral surgery - costlier, risker and requiring longer recovery
Research shows that pets receiving regular professional dental care live longer, healthier lives.
Home Dental Care: A First Line of Defence
Daily brushing is the gold standard for reducing plaque and tartar. While effective, many owners find it difficult to maintain, with data showing fewer than 10% of people manage to brush their pet’s teeth frequently enough to maintain optimal oral hygiene. No judgment here - life is busy and pets don’t always make for willing participants! So what else can you do?
Veterinary-approved options like VOHC‑certified chews, gels, or water additives can help, but they supplement brushing rather than replace it. For the best results, combine home care with professional treatment.
The Benefits of Professional Dental Care
Professional assessment and cleaning (sometimes referred to as a COHAT procedure) goes beyond what home care can achieve:
Thorough removal of plaque and tartar above and below the gumline
Includes a full-mouth examination under anaesthesia to detect hidden issues
Incorporates dental X-rays when necessary, to assess tooth roots and bone health
Enables early treatment to prevent more serious disease
Professional dental cleaning is not just treatment - it’s a proactive step to maintain oral health, avoid painful disease, and reduce the need for advanced, costly interventions later (see below). Research shows pets receiving this level of care live longer, healthier lives.
The Risks of Delayed Treatment
Treating dental disease late is more complex and costly. Delayed procedures:
Increase anaesthesia time, which potentially elevates risk in some patients
Carry higher complication rates
Often involve multiple stages and extended recovery periods
Waiting until your pet’s dental disease is severe is a false economy.
Evervet’s Prevention-Focussed Approach
At Evervet our goal is to make early detection and care easy and accessible:
FREE Nurse Dental Health Checks
Our nurses will assess your pet’s oral health at no cost and provide tailored home care guidance.
Comprehensive Oral Health Assessments & CLEANS (COHAT)
A COHAT includes professional oral examination by a vet, with ultrasonic scaling and polish under anaesthesia by our nurse hygienists, with dental X-rays if required.
Cats: From $635 (GST inc)
Dogs: From $695 (GST inc)
Book your pet’s COHAT procedure in August and receive FREE dental X-rays. A saving of over $200!