{"id":1721,"date":"2019-05-08T18:26:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T18:26:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summeridgeanimalclinic.com\/blog\/?p=1721"},"modified":"2021-11-29T15:57:42","modified_gmt":"2021-11-29T15:57:42","slug":"the-truth-about-anesthesia-free-pet-dental-cleanings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.summeridgeanimalclinic.com\/blog\/the-truth-about-anesthesia-free-pet-dental-cleanings\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About Anesthesia-Free Pet Dental Cleanings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AAnesthesia-free pet dental cleanings have become more popular in recent years. You may have heard about them being offered at grooming salons, pet stores, or even some veterinary clinics. Similar to human dental cleanings, these procedures involve the scraping of plaque and tartar without the use of anesthesia. <\/span><\/p>\n

The popularity of this practice comes from marketing campaigns that promote it as a safe and less expensive alternative to putting a pet under anesthesia. However, what these campaigns fail to mention is that anesthesia-free pet cleanings tend to make dental problems worse, and, in some cases, it amounts to animal abuse and cruelty. <\/span><\/p>\n

Beneath the Surface<\/span><\/h3>\n

In pets, more than 60 percent of dental problems are hidden below the gumline. Because anesthesia-free pet dental cleanings only address plaque and tartar above the gumline, problems like bone loss and cavities go untreated, leading to pain, tooth loss, and the eventual spread of bacteria to major organs. <\/span><\/p>\n

X-rays are required to get the full picture of what\u2019s happening in a pet\u2019s mouth \u2013 and these can only be performed properly under anesthesia. Cleaning and scaling below the gumline is also impossible without sedation.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Risks of Anesthesia-Free Pet Dental Cleanings <\/span><\/h3>\n

Anesthesia-free pet dental cleanings can also result in the following problems:<\/span><\/p>\n