Anesthesia free dentistry – In recent years this trend has been popping up as an alternative to traditional pet dental cleanings done under anesthetic. It is advertised as safer and just as effective a way to care for your pet’s oral health. This is often offered by non-veterinarians. However, it is important to understand the difference and safety profiles of both options. Dental cleaning must be performed by a trained Veterinary Assistant under the guidance of a Veterinarian.
While there is always a risk when a pet undergoes an anesthetic, modern anesthetic and patient evaluation techniques help to minimize these risks. While a pet is under, we are able to scale the entire surface for the tooth. This includes under the gum line and the back of the teeth. The most important part of a dental cleaning is cleaning within the gingival pocket where periodontal disease is active. This is impossible to do on all the teeth of an unanaesthetized dog or cat. The cleaning that is done awake is more cosmetic. Periodontal disease is often left untreated beyond the gumline which can cause tooth decay and/or loss. When an animal is asleep we can do a complete oral exam looking for any signs of decay or other oral diseases.
