Why veterinarians recommend anesthesia, and sometimes x-rays, to perform a dental cleaning:
It is important to cleanunderthe gum line and to evaluate whether any teeth need to be extracted due to bone loss and infection. As you can imagine, it’s impossible to do this in an awake pet. Without anesthesia, your vet would be merely cleaning the tips of teeth that might be diseased and destined to cause future problems. Also, the x-ray probe that’s used in the mouth costs about $5000 and no one wants a pet to chomp down and break that!
Nervous about putting your pet under anesthesia for a dental cleaning? It's normal (and okay!) to feel a little nervous!
Help calm your nerves and feel good about making the right decision for your pet by asking your veterinarian these questions before the procedure: Questions to ask my vet!
Read about reasons NOT to choose anesthesia free dental cleaningshere
