How often should dog get teeth cleaned?

Dental cleaning is as essential for dogs as it is for human beings. Providing dental care to your canine should be priority. The precise answer of how often should dog get teeth cleaned majorly depends upon age and breed of your four-legged companion.  Younger dogs require less frequent brushing compared to the older ones. Similarly, large breed dogs are less prone to dental problems comparative to the smaller breed dogs. Apart from this, dogs too vary in their individual dental care. Just like as humans, some dogs may naturally require less dental care whereas other may demand thorough oral hygiene.

Do dogs really need to have their teeth cleaned?

Definitely yes, dental care is the first step to ensure your adorable friend’s overall health. The identical biological process happens in dogs’ mouth as happens in our mouth.  It first starts with coating on teeth surface with bacterial film. If left undisturbed for seventy-two hours, this will be hardened and turned into cement like layer. With time, many more such layers accumulate that change teeth color to brownish-yellow. This is known as plaque, a bacterial concrete!  

How is plaque harmful?

The cemented bacteria lead to gingivitis in which gums bleed easily due to inflammation and infection. If left untreated, the situation may further worsened to a serious gum disease known as periodontitis. Without treatment, it can damage the soft tissues and can destroy the tooth supporting bone. Above that, it can be more damaging for your dog’s kidneys, liver and heart as through infected gums, germs can enter blood stream and cause harm somewhere else in the body. You may think of it as plaque deposit on filtration system in kidneys and on the heart valves, amongst other organs!

Can Vet clean dog’s teeth without anesthesia?

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), whose prime function is to grow the quality and availability of small animal medication and surgical treatment, has universally discarded the non-anesthesia veterinary dentistry as it is traumatic and dangerous for your pet. The association has also published the guidelines warning against this practice. Often, veterinarians offer the service of scaling teeth without anesthesia which puts an impression on owners’ mind that after the procedure their  four-legged companion’s mouth will be clean and healthy. But it is impossible to deep clean mammal’s teeth without restraining it physically.

Why is non-anesthesia dental cleaning is not the right option?

The terms like NADS (non-anesthesia dental scaling) misleads the loving owners as after the procedure, the outer surface may appear whiter but it is not clean beneath the gum line where the bacteria play havoc. It is very uncomfortable and psychologically stressful for animals to sit with forcibly open mouth with no understanding of what is happening inside and why.

Why to opt for teeth cleaning under anesthesia?

 Though anesthesia is not totally risk free but its benefits outweigh the risk factors. It helps thorough dental cleaning without any stress which will prove far beneficial in long run.  The most essential is to clean the area underneath the gums where bacteria live and cause infection that can harm dog’s teeth and damage its organs.

To take you back in short, poor dental care in pets can lead to numerous problems in similar way as it can for human beings. Oral hygiene begins with teeth-brushing. Owners should not wait until they notice bad mouth odor to pay attention. Though the anesthesia-free dental cleaning claims to be as effective and safe as done under anesthesia, it is not an effective alternative. Your dear pet’s mouth may seem better but truly it is not healthier. So, always take care of your pet’s oral hygiene and get it cleaned as often as advised by your vet.

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