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You have to be verrryyy careful when it comes to dental extractions. Those vets who are charging so little are likely just performing a crown amputation, not a true extraction. Basically they snap off the crown of the tooth and leave the roots, and then stitch the gums back up over top of the root. This is very painful for the pet (I know if hurts to chew if I have a cavity, can you imagine chewing on gum that has a whole tooth root poking at you underneath!). Also, this is very prone to infection, as the remaining root will rot and fester under your pets gums, eventually leading to an abscess and yet another trip to the vet (exam, antibiotics, likely another dental surgery to remove the rotten root). You get what you pay for.
We are a fairly expensive clinic compared to others in our area, and extractions cost $102.90 per every ten minutes that it takes. Canine dentistry, which at our clinic includes a full exam prior to surgery, anesthetic induction, dental exam and charting, prophylaxis/polish/rinse (ie: cleaning), and a day of hospitalization is about $552. These are the fees established by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association for a veterinarian of "average skill and ability"...My vet is FAR above average and charges these fees, their standards of care are higher than any other clinic I've been to or worked at (believe me when I say that not all veterinarians are the same. I could tell you horror stories for days. Ugh). Also, we do dental x rays before each extraction to determine the status of the root, and if the tooth comes out in pieces (as many do), we do xrays after to make sure all the root remnants have been removed. I know when I had my wisdom teeth out, they missed a small sliver of my tooth, and it bothered me for weeks until it finally migrated to the surface and I was able to pluck it out.
I understand some people don't want to, or can't, spend a lot of money on their pets, but if you're going to get something like dental extractions done, just be aware that different vets have different standards, not everyone does it the same and many vets cut corners to save time and money. While its good for your wallet, it may not be the best for your pet.
I'll get off my soapbox now!
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