This is a service that has become more popular in the last few years that is performed outside of a veterinary clinic either at a groomer, pet store, daycare, or mobile service. Its main appeal is the fact the pet is awake during the service (ie. no anesthesia or sedation is used) and therefore the cost is significantly lower than your veterinarian. The pet is restrained by an assistant or technician with an effort to make things “relaxing” while hand tools are used to manually scrape surface plaque off the teeth focusing ABOVE the gumline. The result is a whiter smile with some impressive before and after photos. Sounds amazing right!……But why is this service not recommended by your veterinarian?
It’s first helpful to understand what “periodontal disease” is, as this is commonly referenced at routine pet visits. Periodontal disease is an inflammatory condition caused by bacteria BELOW the gumline, that results in the breakdown of tissues surrounding the teeth. This includes bone, gum tissue and structures that hold the teeth in place. It spreads unseen to destroy the bone surrounding the tooth roots, ultimately leading to loose, painful teeth. It is the most common clinical condition affecting adult pets and is almost entirely preventable. This is the reason anesthesia free dental cleanings are a cosmetic service and do not provide any medical benefit to your pet’s oral health. The teeth may appear whiter, but without anesthesia cannot be scaled beneath the gumline and the bacteria that causes periodontal disease and bad breath remains. The build-up visible on your pet’s teeth consists of layers of plaque (dead mineralized bacteria and mineralized proteins from saliva). This is removed using a sharp tipped tool to scrape the tooth’s surface. Your pet is expected to sit still for about an hour while this service is performed. This is a lot to ask from many pets (and people!) considering the mild discomfort we feel from having only a small amount of plaque scaled during our dental visits. This service also can’t polish the teeth after scaling, leaving microscopic scrapes in the tooth surface that allows bacteria to latch on more easily.
So, what does your veterinarian do that’s different?
An anesthesia plan is first created and tailored to your specific pet and their health. Typically, pre-anesthetic blood testing and sedation is performed as a part of this process. The pet then undergoes general anesthesia so a thorough exam of the mouth can be performed. This includes evaluation of the soft and hard palates, tonsils, lip and cheek surfaces, floor of the mouth and tongue, mucous membranes, and of course the teeth. Each tooth is then individually probed to look for pockets in the gum consistent with periodontal disease. Full mouth x-rays are also performed to evaluate jaw bones, tooth roots and crown integrity. This is required to diagnose things like tooth root abscesses, dead teeth, tooth resorption, impacted or unerupted teeth, and monitoring disease progression. A full cleaning using an ultrasonic scaler is then used to clean the crowns (visible part of the teeth), between teeth AND below the gumline where periodontal disease hides. This is followed by polishing to leave the teeth nice and smooth to discourage plaque and bacteria growth. Any problematic teeth can also be addressed via extraction or advanced procedures if necessary.
Key Takeaway: Anesthesia free cleaning provides some cosmetic benefit, but whiter teeth doesn’t equal a healthy mouth. Although cheaper in the short term, dental disease can go unchecked for several years leading to much higher costs down the road. This service does not replace home dental care and veterinary dental care, where the focus is to detect and address oral and periodontal disease early before it causes extensive and irreparable damage.
Reference and further information can be found at the AVDC Website (American Veterinary Dental College): https://afd.avdc.org/category/for-pet-owners/
