Anesthesia Free Dentistry: Friend or Foe?

By: Samantha Haines
Reg. AHT


I was recently asked this question in an exam room by a concerned pet owner "Why can't we do anesthesia-free dentistry on my pet?"

Anesthesia-free dentistry or more appropriately called Non Professional Dental Scaling (NPDS) is becoming more common in our pets due to money constraints and anesthesia concerns.  The American Veterinary Dental College states clearly that anyone providing dental services other than a licensed veterinarian, or a supervised and trained veterinary technician, is practising veterinary
medicine without a license and shall be subject to criminal charges.   Unfortunately many grooming facilities and NPDS clinics are providing this service as a way to increase revenue.

There are many reasons why NPDS is not an appropriate treatment for your pet.

Safety - As you can imagine, our pets do not like to sit still very long.  Even our best patients do not enjoy a thorough dental examination let alone a scale and polish.  Scaling below the gumline is uncomfortable and any movement from the patient can cause damage to the tissues.  Working this closely to an animal's mouth poses health risks for the people involved.

NPDS is purely cosmetic - A professional dental cleaning involves scaling both above and below the gum line, followed by polishing. The most important area to focus on when cleaning the teeth is the area within the gingival pocket.  This is the area between the root and the gum tissue. It is impossible to reach all these areas on our canine and feline patients without anesthesia.  Scaling the tartar from the crowns is purely for esthetic purposes, and leaves active disease in your pet.

By ignoring the disease below the gumline we are doing our patients a great unkindness by allowing the disease to run rampid though our pet's bloodstreams affecting all organs in the body including kidneys, liver and heart.

This link is an excellent article with detailed pictures that clearly shows that teeth are like icebergs, and what may look good on the surface, may not be the case under water.
http://veterinarydentistry.net/blog/2010/12/20/anesthesia-free-dentistry-dogs-pet/

American Veterinary Dental College Position Statement

So lets talk about money...
Some compaines will provide NPDS for your pet at an average cost of $200.  They are only looking at the outer surface of the teeth, and only what they can see on the crown or surface of the tooth (ie. nothing below the gumline).  So lets call this 25% clean!  Here at Sechelt Animal Hospital we include pre-anesthesic blood panel, inhalant anesthesia, pain control, and a complete scale and polish which is 100% clean for a grand total of $330 including taxes.  You tell me which is more bang for your buck!

Anesthesia is never without risk, but we are committed to providing your pet with the safest possible plan.  For more on anesthesia please read our article titled "Anesthesia - Is it Safe."

It is important that regular dental hygiene is practised at home and professional dental cleanings are performed yearly to prevent oral disease.