Anesthesia-free dentistry is available in many locations, from
pet stores to grooming facilities to mobile vans. This hand
scaling involves using a small sharp instrument to remove tartar
and plaque from the surface of the pets’ teeth while it sits in
the lap of the person performing the process. It is tempting to
dog and cat owners to have this service performed on their pets
as it is less expensive than the dentistry services provided by
veterinarians and it does not require general anesthesia.
Veterinarians, for the most part, do not recommend this service
of a number of reasons. First, cleaning the teeth without
anesthesia is ineffective at detecting or treating dental
disease. The lack of anesthesia prevents the provider from
scaling underneath the gumline where the majority of disease
occurs. Removing the tartar from the visible surface of the
tooth is cosmetically pleasing, but does little to prevent
periodontal disease which leads to discomfort and tooth loss. In
addition, the inside surface of the to