Anaesthesia Free Dentistry
DID YOU KNOW?
That ‘Anaesthesia – free dentistry’ procedures are a risk to your pet?
Some people are now advertising what they call ‘anaesthesia-free dentistry’. They offer to do ‘dentals’ or cleaning and scaling of pets’ teeth while the animal is fully conscious.
As a pet owner, please be aware that this is a serious risk because:
The animal must be physically restrained, which can lead to significant anxiety. As the animal is conscious, it will be fully aware of any pain involved in the procedure. The pain caused will be stressful at the time and can also lead to longer term anxiety and aversion to being touched around the face and muzzle.
‘Anaesthesia-free dentistry’ is frequently only cosmetic, as removal of the visible tartar on the tooth surface does not address dental disease. Only removal of the disease-causing bacteria and their waste products from the pockets around the teeth will halt its progress - and this is uncomfortable even for people who understand what is happening!
Sadly, animals may still have significant dental disease and remain in pain after a superficial “anaesthesia-free” clean, and owners may not realise that their pet is still suffering with dental disease.
It is impossible to do X-rays and adequately examine all surfaces of your pet’s oral cavity while awake. Radiographs and a veterinary oral health evaluation are vital in detecting problems early while they are relatively easy and thus less expensive to treat. What’s the answer?
Your veterinarian can properly examine, diagnose and treat dental disease in pets with a professional veterinary dental cleaning.
Your veterinarian will use a general anaesthetic because dental disease occurs above and below the gum line and it ensures they can complete a systematic inspection of every single tooth, probe the pockets surrounding the tooth and check for underlying disease.
The anaesthetic ensures the experience is a positive one for your pet, because it is unaware of the pain during the procedure and doesn’t need to be physically restrained.
Dental disease is common in Australian pets. If untreated, it can be painful and lead to chronic health concerns. Speak to your vet today about the importance of good oral health and regular dental check-ups for your pets.
Cleaning the visible surface above the gum line, makes the teeth look superficially “clean” but will not detect any of the dental disease present below the gum line, and thus provides no medical benefit.
