Dentistry: Or Why “Just Cleaning the Teeth” Isn’t a Thing

(And Other Dental Truths We Should Probably Talk About)

By Teleah Grand, DVM, CVA, CVFT, CVTP, CVCH

Let’s start with a visual… Especially appropriate since February is Dental Health Month.

If your house was lightly flooded. Just along the floors and baseboards… mopping the floors might look productive. It might even feel productive. But water and mud doesn’t politely stay where you can see it. It seeps under the baseboards, into hidden spaces, and if it isn’t addressed properly, the damage keeps going long after the floor looks clean.

That’s exactly how anesthesia-free dental cleanings work.

They look productive.
They feel productive.
They are… not productive.

Real dental disease lives under the gumline, not on the part of the tooth you can see. And unless your dog or cat is deeply committed to meditation, breathwork, and personal growth, there is no safe or effective way to clean there while they’re awake.

Why Dental Cleanings Require Anesthesia (Yes, Really)

A proper dental procedure isn’t about making teeth look pretty. It’s about removing infection, inflammation, and pain.

That requires:

Cleaning below the gumline
Probing each tooth
Taking full dental X-rays
Treating diseased teeth appropriately

Trying to do dentistry without anesthesia is like mopping the flooded floor and congratulating yourself while ignoring what’s happening underneath the baseboards.

Spoiler alert: the bacteria are thriving down there.

“But Isn’t Anesthesia Risky?”

Yes.

And also… So is untreated dental disease.

At ACCSR, we don’t ignore anesthetic risk. We actively manage it.

Every dental procedure includes:

Pre-anesthetic bloodwork
IV catheter placement
IV fluids
Continuous monitoring, including CO₂, oxygen saturation (SpO₂), EKG, blood pressure, and heart rate

Anesthesia always carries some risk, but chronic infection carries guaranteed consequences.

“Do You Really Have to Remove the Tooth?”

We hear this question a lot. And it’s a fair one.

Here’s an analogy that helps put this into perspective:

Cleaning the teeth of a five-year-old dog who has never had dental care is a lot like a person going to the dentist for the first time at age 45 after never brushing or flossing.

At that point, pathology isn’t a surprise.

It’s a given.

That doesn’t mean anyone failed… It means time, bacteria, and biology did what they do.

Here’s the part pets can’t tell us:

Your dog or cat won’t say, “Hey, that tooth hurts when I chew,” or “Every time I drink water, that spot stings.” They don’t limp. They don’t cry. And they rarely stop eating.

What they do instead is:

Slow down
Play less
Chew differently
Stop using favorite toys or bones
Seem quieter, less energetic, or like they’re “just getting older”

Low-grade, chronic pain is incredibly easy for pets to hide—and dental pain is one of the most common sources of it.

When we recommend tooth removal, it’s not casual. It’s because:

There is bone loss around the tooth
There is infection at the root
The damage is not reversible

At that point, no cleaning, antibiotic, or wishful thinking can save that tooth. Keeping it means keeping a constant source of pain and infection in your pet’s mouth.

But What About Eating Without Teeth?

Here’s the reassuring part:
Dogs and cats do just fine with few, or even no, teeth.

They eat.
They drink.
They play.
They are comfortable.

Would we prefer to prevent tooth loss? Absolutely. That’s why we emphasize early and routine dental care. But when teeth are beyond saving, removing them restores comfort and eliminates chronic infection. And pets feel better, often noticeably so.

A True Story: The 23-Year-Old Poodle

One of my favorite patients was a 23-year-old poodle who was overly enthusiastic about expressing his opinions. That usually meant trying to bite anyone who came near him (except his mom, of course).

He had exactly one tooth left, and it needed to come out. After careful planning, monitoring, and anesthesia, we removed that tooth, and he woke up just fine.

He then promptly gummed my hand.

(Strong opinions. Zero teeth.)

Older pets don’t get less benefit from dental care. They often get more. Removing that painful tooth improved his comfort, quality of life, and, clearly, his confidence.

What a Real Dental Procedure Includes

A full dental at ACCSR includes:

Full-mouth dental radiographs
Complete oral examination
Scaling above and below the gumline
Polishing
Fluoride treatment
Extractions when necessary

We Practice What We Recommend

As veterinarians, we don’t just recommend this… We do it.

Our own pets receive full COHATs (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessments and Treatment) starting when appropriate and then every 12 months for the rest of their lives. Not because it’s trendy. Not because it’s cosmetic.

Because it works.