NON-ANESTHETIC DENTALS (NAD)
PostedThe anesthesia-free dental cleanings are gaining popularity among pet owners, as more boarding facilities, groomers, and some veterinary offices are providing this service. Most of the times, their selling argument is that anesthesia is a risk to your pet. We do NOT recommend dentals on awake patients, which can pose lots of risks for your pet. Sharp instruments are used and if your pet moves, they can result with significant lacerations in the gums or even worse, major vessels in the palate or the tongue. An adequate cleaning also requires ultrasonic scalers, which require water to cool down. This water can go into your pet’s lungs and cause a pneumonia. And the worse of all, is that they can not do oral xrays on your pet awake, therefore they will miss dental disease under the gum. This explains why after a Non-anesthetic dental their mouths are smelling bad only after a few weeks.
At Helpet, we offer a full comprehensive oral examination and treatment under general anesthesia for several reasons, and ultimately because we care about your pet’s dental and general health.
Non-anesthetic dental cleanings are nothing more than a pet restrained against its will in an unnatural position while the staff member scrapes plaque and tartar from some teeth surfaces.
As stated on the American Veterinary Dental College website, “Anesthesia free dental cleanings gives you a false sense of security as a pet owner that because the teeth look whiter that they are healthier”.
On an awake patient they will not be able to perform a complete oral examination, full-mouth radiographs, clean all surfaces of each tooth above and below gum line, and address any periodontal disease at any level. All of the above should be part of a routine oral exam, treatment and prevention protocol.
Call us for a Dental Consultation for your pet at 786-401-6303.
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