Is non-anesthetic dog teeth cleaning worth it?

Non-anesthetic pet dental cleanings are not the same as traditional pet dental cleanings, in fact, they do not even come close to a true dental cleaning. Instead, they are more cosmetic in nature and simply remove as much of the visible tartar and plaque build-up that is possible with this type of procedure. I cannot emphasize enough how stressful and painful it is for your pet, but also how it does not offer any long-term or even short-term health benefits. The cause of bad breath and kidney problems is the bacteria in the plaque that is under the gumline, which cannot be addressed by non-anesthetic cleanings. The danger is that a pet owner may falsely believe that his pet is now safe from periodontal disease when nothing can be farther from the truth. In fact, the risk of developing this disease could be made worse by the scratches left on the teeth by the instruments used. Non-professional teeth cleanings are primarily cosmetic and do not address moderate-to-advanced periodontal disease and other health issues. Pet dental cleanings without anesthesia can be stressful and painful for pets.

Those that provide Anesthesia Free Dentistry or No Anesthesia Dentistry (NAD) would like you to believe by removing visible tartar from the teeth they are improving oral health. This is just not the case and the AVDC wants you to consider the following reasons not to choose an anesthesia free dental for your pet: Scaling the plaque and tartar from the outside surfaces of the teeth does not remove the plaque and bacteria from beneath your pet’s gumline and does not decrease the risk of your pet getting periodontal disease. Cleaning and scaling below the gum line is most important because it’s where periodontal disease is most active. This can’t be done without anesthesia. Anesthesia free dental cleanings provide no benefit to your pet and do not prevent periodontal disease at any level. In fact, it gives you a false sense of security as a pet owner that because the teeth look whiter that they are healthier. The costs of anesthesia free dental cleanings are cheap to begin with. The ultimate costs to both your wallet, and pet’s dental health, are far more of an expense. Anesthesia is needed to best evaluate periodontal disease with the help of a dental probe and x-ray examination to truly sense what is going on below the gumline. A thorough oral health exam can’t be done on a dog or cat that is awake.