Dental X-Rays in Montgomery, TX
Your pet cannot tell you when a tooth hurts. They will keep eating, keep playing, and keep wagging their tail, all while carrying a painful abscess or significant bone loss beneath the gum line. That silence is exactly why dental X-rays are one of the most valuable tools available in veterinary medicine.
At Fish Creek Animal Hospital, dental X-rays are a routine part of every dental care in Montgomery appointment we perform. Founded by Dr. Kevin Wheeler and supported by a team that includes two Texas A&M University-trained veterinarians, our privately owned practice has been serving dogs and cats in Montgomery, Conroe, Magnolia, The Woodlands, and surrounding areas for over four and a half years.
Why Dental X-Rays Matter for Dogs and Cats
A visual exam alone only tells part of the story. The crowns of your pet’s teeth may look perfectly normal while serious damage is developing below the gum line, where the naked eye simply cannot reach. According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, dental disease is the most common disease of small animals, with periodontal disease, endodontic disease, and tooth resorption being the most frequent conditions affecting dogs and cats.
Dental radiographs allow us to see what a physical exam cannot, including bone loss, tooth root infections, resorptive lesions in cats, retained roots, and unerupted teeth that may be forming cysts. Without this imaging, many of these problems would go undetected and untreated, leading to chronic pain and more serious health consequences down the road.
What Dental X-Rays Can Detect
Dental radiography gives our team a detailed look at the full anatomy of every tooth, from crown to root. There are several conditions we can identify that would otherwise be missed, including:
- Periodontal bone loss: Bacterial infection can erode the bone supporting your pet’s teeth long before outward signs appear
- Tooth root abscesses: Infections at the root tip that cause significant pain and may spread to surrounding tissue
- Tooth resorption: A painful condition seen frequently in cats where the tooth structure breaks down from the inside
- Fractured roots: Retained root fragments after a tooth breaks can cause ongoing infection
- Unerupted or impacted teeth: Teeth that never fully erupted may develop cysts that damage surrounding bone
- Bone cysts and oral masses: Abnormal growths that require early intervention for the best outcomes
Identifying these conditions early allows us to treat them before they progress, which means less discomfort for your pet and fewer complications overall.
How We Perform Dental X-Rays
Because pets cannot hold still on their own during imaging, dental X-rays are always performed under general anesthesia. This is the only way to safely position the sensor inside your pet’s mouth, capture accurate images of every tooth, and complete a thorough professional dental cleaning at the same time. We use EKG monitoring to assess your pet’s heart function throughout the procedure, and anesthesia is tailored to each individual patient.
Before we proceed with any anesthetic procedure, we recommend pre-anesthetic bloodwork to evaluate organ function and ensure your pet is a safe candidate. This is a standard part of our diagnostic services, and it gives us the information we need to keep your pet as safe as possible from the moment they arrive to the moment they go home.
What to Expect During Your Pet’s Dental Appointment
When your pet comes in for a dental cleaning, the process begins with a full physical exam and review of their health history. Once they are safely under anesthesia, we take a complete set of dental X-rays before we begin cleaning. This ensures we have a complete picture of what we are working with before making any treatment decisions. If we identify a tooth that needs extraction or another issue that requires attention, we will discuss the findings with you and talk through the available options.
Our team takes time to walk you through exactly what we found and what it means for your pet’s health. We want you to feel informed and confident in every decision made during your pet’s care.
Ready to Meet Our Team?
We'd love to care for your pet. Call us to speak with our team or book your visit online — we're here Mon–Fri 8am–6pm & 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month: 8:00 am –12:00pm
Protecting Your Pet's Overall Health Through Oral Care
Dental health and overall health are deeply connected. Bacteria from untreated oral disease can enter the bloodstream and affect the heart, kidneys, and liver over time. Routine dental care, including professional cleanings with radiographs, is one of the most effective ways to protect your pet’s long-term well-being.
We recommend that most dogs and cats receive a professional dental evaluation and cleaning at least once a year. Pets with a history of dental disease, certain breeds, or those showing signs of oral discomfort may benefit from more frequent attention. Signs worth watching for include bad breath, difficulty chewing, pawing at the mouth, drooling, or reluctance to eat. If you notice any of these, scheduling a dental exam sooner rather than later is always the right call. Our team also stays on top of preventive care through pet wellness exams that give us a baseline picture of your pet’s health at every life stage.
Schedule a Dental Exam at Fish Creek Animal Hospital
Dr. Kevin Wheeler, Dr. Melissa Pawlowski, Dr. Crenshaw, and the rest of our team are committed to delivering personalized care that treats your pet like a neighbor, not a number. As a privately owned practice staffed by Texas natives and Aggie-trained veterinarians, we bring a genuine connection to the Woodforest community and the surrounding Montgomery area. We are open on the first and third Saturdays of each month, in addition to our regular weekday hours, to make quality care as accessible as possible.
If your pet is due for a dental cleaning or you have concerns about their oral health, we are here to help. Contact our office to schedule an appointment and let us take a closer look at what is happening beneath the surface.
**Our accepted forms of payment include CareCredit, Scratchpay, cash, Discover, Mastercard, Visa, and American Express.**
