The Non-Anesthetic Dental procedure and Oral Care at Home

Many of you have good questions about the non-anesthetic dental procedure.  I'll describe that here, as well as give you tips on how best to care for your pet's teeth at home.  We all want to do what's best for our pets, and a little education and guidance goes a long way! 

The dental procedure:

Before we start, I need to know the basic health history of the pet.  I have a health status form for you to fill out that alerts me to any pre-existing conditions or injuries I should be aware of.   I will want to know if your pet is on medications currently and why.  After that, it's just me and the pet.  Rarely is it a good idea for the owner to be present for the dental procedure, as the pet wants only to be "saved" by mommy of daddy, or picks up nervousness from the owner, and consequently, also becomes nervous.  So off you go, and I'm free to begin the dental.

I first wrap small pets in a towel, like a little papoose, and sit on the floor with the pet in my lap.  Taking the mobility away from the dog or cat is important; they figure out they aren't going anywhere and usually just decide to cooperate.  Dogs larger than a cocker spaniel don't need a wrap - I sit with them on the floor and basically have them in a position that is comfortable to them - lying on their right hip and front paws outstretched.  I put none of my weight on them, but they pretty much can't get up.  It's a good position to learn if you have trouble cleaning ears or putting in eye drops, etc.  I'll be happy to show it to you if you want to learn it.

I do an oral exam before beginning the procedure.  If I find a condition beyond my scope of work, like necessary extractions, or other signs of severe periodontal disease that must be addressed under anesthesia, I will stop and show you the problems and you can discuss that with your vet.  Think of it just like you going to your dentist.  You go in for teeth cleaning; other times you need a cavity filled or a crown, etc., which is much more involved that the teeth cleaning.  It's the same here.  I'm just cleaning the teeth.