Nearly every dog and cat needs daily brushing at home and, at some point, a professional cleaning under anesthesia, because gum disease starts below the gumline where you can't see it. Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Concord is a vet clinic in Concord, North Carolina, that provides dental care from routine cleanings to extractions, and checks the teeth, gums and jaw at every exam.
Bad breath is the reason many pets first come in, and it is rarely just a breath problem. Call (980) 360-2922 or book online.
What happens under the gumline?
Plaque, a soft film of bacteria, forms on teeth within hours of eating and hardens into tartar, the tan crust near the gums. The bigger problem is below: periodontal disease, an infection of the tissue and bone that hold each tooth in place. It is usually silent, because pets keep eating through a sore mouth. Cats can also have tooth resorption, where a tooth breaks down from the inside, often below the gumline.
Brushing, chews or a cleaning?
Each option does a different job, and most pets need more than one.
Daily brushing with pet toothpaste. Removes plaque before it hardens. It can't remove tartar or treat infection below the gums.
Dental chews and diets. Slow plaque and tartar; look for the VOHC seal (Veterinary Oral Health Council).
Professional cleaning under anesthesia. Scaling above and below the gumline, polishing, charting every tooth and dental x-rays.
Anesthesia-free "cleaning." Scrapes the visible crown but can't reach below the gumline, and can hide disease behind a white surface.
Extraction. Removes a tooth that is broken, loose, infected or resorbing.
The American Veterinary Medical Association supports cleanings under general anesthesia, because a pet can't hold still for a full exam of every tooth while awake.
Older mouths, x-rays every time
The typical dog having a dental procedure at Petfolk Concord was about 8 and a half years old, and nearly 4 in 10 dental patients (38%) were 10 or older (October 2025 to September 2026). Across Petfolk's Charlotte-area clinics, about 97% of dental procedures included dental x-rays, which show the roots.
What does a dental cleaning day look like at Petfolk Concord?
Gentle Handling is standard at every Petfolk clinic, so drop-off is calm and unhurried.
Exam and pre-anesthetic blood work. The vet checks the heart, lungs and organ function; the blood work page explains those tests.
Anesthesia and monitoring. Breathing, heart rate and temperature are watched throughout.
Scaling, polishing, charting and x-rays.
Treatment. If a tooth needs to come out, the vet explains why first.
Recovery and a home plan for food, pain medicine and when to start brushing again.
You'll get an estimate before any test or treatment. The final bill can differ if the plan changes during the visit. A wellness exam starts at $99, or is included with the PetfolkCare plan, which also includes discounts on dental cleanings.
I was very worried about my dog she broke a tooth in half. The wonderful people at Petfolk fit her right in. Kenzie T., Google review
Signs it's time for a dental visit
Strong or sour breath
Red or bleeding gums
Brown buildup on the back teeth
Dropping food, chewing on one side, or pawing at the mouth
A swelling under the eye, a sign of a tooth root abscess
A broken tooth, often from bones or antlers
Start brushing slowly
Let your pet lick pet toothpaste off your finger for a few days, then touch the outer surfaces of the back teeth, then add a soft brush. Short daily sessions beat one long weekly session. Never use human toothpaste, which can contain xylitol, a sweetener toxic to dogs.
If your pet's face swells quickly, it can't close its mouth, or a mouth injury is bleeding heavily, go to a 24-hour emergency hospital. Petfolk Concord is open 8 AM to 6 PM, seven days a week, and doesn't provide overnight care.
Dental care off Odell School Road
Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Concord is at 2425 Herrons Nest Pl NW, Suite 100, Concord, NC 28027, near Lowes Foods, so a gum check can fit into a grocery run. Call (980) 360-2922 or book online.
Book a visit at Petfolk Veterinary & Urgent Care - Concord, or see all veterinary services in Concord.
Your dog and cat teeth questions, answered
Near Lowes Foods on Herrons Nest Place