Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists

We hope you'll find our site a comprehensive resource for your pet's dental health and discover the level of experience and expertise our board certified veterinary dentistry practice provides to our many pet patients and their families. Watch the video to hear Dr. Visser discuss more about the importance of choosing a veterinary dentist for your pet's dental needs.

10 Reasons NOT to use anesthesia free pet dental cleanings for your dogs or cats:

1. A thorough exam and cleaning can’t be done on a dog or cat that is awake.
2. Most oral disease happens below your pet’s gum line and dental x-rays are the only way to identify painful problems such as fractured teeth, periodontal disease or other problems. Dental x-rays can’t be performed on an awake pet.
3. Cleaning and scaling below the gum line is important because it’s where periodontal disease is most active. This can’t be done without anesthesia.
4. Anesthesia free dental cleanings require a pet to be restrained while having their teeth scraped, which is both stressful and likely painful for them.
5. Anesthesia allows us to properly care for your pet’s teeth safely, adequately and without pain.  
6. Anesthesia free dental scaling without proper polishing leaves a surface on the pet’s teeth that promotes faster growth of the bacteria that causes periodontal disease.
7. Anesthesia free dental cleanings give pet owners a false sense of security. Unfortunately, just because their pet’s teeth appear cleaner doesn't mean they are free from oral disease.
8. There are significantly increasing numbers of pets who, after a number of years of anesthesia free dental cleanings, have developed severe periodontal disease resulting in multiple extractions or need for extensive treatment.
9. Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition occurring in dogs and cats. Unfortunately there are typically no visible signs until it has progressed too far to be able to treat and save teeth. Anesthesia free dental cleanings do not begin to even identify, let alone address periodontal disease.
10. The cost of anesthesia free dental cleanings may seem less. However, they put a pet owner at great risk for far more extensive costs in the future to treat problems that have been left untreated for a number of years.

At Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists we are strongly against anesthesia free dental cleanings and are commited to educating the public about the risks to their pets. A proper pet dental cleaning should always be performed by a veterinarian and involve safe anesthesia and dental radiographs. Learn about professional pet dental cleanings available at Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists.

At Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists, we are all pet owners, and very much understand it can feel uncomfortable to put your dog or cat under anesthesia, especially if they are older. Watch as Dr. Visser explains our anesthesia expertise, protocols and the great care we take with each animal under our care.

Arizona Veterinary Dental Specialists has volunteered our services to the Phoenix Zoo for more than 300 veterinary dental procedures on all kinds of animals. We hope you enjoy our amazing zoo dentistry photos!

See the complete zoo dentistry photo gallery.