Vet pushing teeth cleaning

[godsend11]

I took my dog (Parker, almost 6 years old, neutered male, Coonhound mix) to the vet today for his vaccinations and annual check up. He’s all-around heathy but the vet was pushing teeth cleaning really hard. He said Parker has some tartar build up that is totally normal but he wants to clean it off so that the teeth don’t potentially begin decaying and need to be pulled later. The procedure would require the dog to be sedated and would cost $425.

Is this a legitimate procedure and is it necessary? Or was the vet just trying to sell me an additional and costly service? I imagine this is a more therapeutic clean than he’d get at a grooming salon, but not sure if it’s totally necessary?

Anyone have any insight or experience with this?

 

[searchingforfaith8709]

@godsend11 Dental cleanings are absolutely legitimate and necessary! Just like your teeth need to be examined and cleaned regularly by a dentist, dogs and cats need their teeth examined and cleaned by their vet. If tartar build up is allowed to continue you may be looking at a cleaning and teeth extractions, which means more time under anesthesia, and a higher cost for you. It can also cause more serious health issues.

This would definitely be a more in depth clean than what the groomer can provide. The groomer is like when you brush your teeth. The vet is like a cleaning at the dentist. Dogs won't sit politely to have their teeth thoroughly cleaned so the only way to do it is under anesthesia at the vet's office.

No one on the internet can tell you how bad the tartar build up is or how urgent this particular cleaning is, but if you trust your vet with your pet's health, you should trust him on this too. And if you don't trust your vet you need a new vet. A good vet is looking out for animals, not trying to scam people out of money.

I have a cat who is genetically predisposed to having really nasty teeth and he has had multiple dentals, usually with extractions. My other cats and dogs haven't needed dentals so far, fortunately, but I expect they all will at some point or another. There is some dental care you can do at home for him to help prevent the need for cleanings, if you're up for it, but nothing you can do at home can reverse the tartar he already has or replace what the vet can do during a proper cleaning. Six years without needing a dental yet is good, though!

 

[godsend11]

@searchingforfaith8709 Great! Thank you for the thoughtful reply I definitely trust my vet, I just found it strange how hard he was pushing it though and I had never heard of a dog needing to be under anesthesia for a procedure like this. I appreciate your help!

 

[pastorjal]

@godsend11 Tartar build up occurs under the gym line too. Like when the dentist pokes you with the damn pointy thing and it hurts like crazy.

It’s that, but on dogs and you can’t tell them it’s for their own good

When the plaque builds up between the tooth and the gum line, it allows space for infection and shoves the gum away from the tooth. Eventually oral decay and teeth loss will occur.

 

[god2good4me]

@godsend11 My pomeranian has always had bad teeth and I've gotten her teeth done every year until this year . She was diagnosed with a heart condition which is why I'm now only hoping to have her teeth cleaned when absolutely neccessary. I'd say after 6 years your dog might be due for a cleaning. It really does matter for their overall health. A lot of secondary infections happen because of rotten, broken or abscessed teeth. They should do a blood test before they put your dog under to make sure they don't have any underlying conditions, and most dogs are fine. But with all things, there will always be risks. Its something to always have in the back of your mind. I'd say if your pup is perfectly healthy otherwise , a teeth cleaning is a good idea.

Edit: I'm also a groomer and the only thing a groomer does for your dog's teeth is brush them. And if you're only going to the groomer once a month or less , paying a groomer to just brush your teeth is a ripoff. Just do it yourself at home. A vet is actually going to scrape and polish your dogs chompers.

 

[godsend11]

@god2good4me That’s super helpful. Thank you! I had no idea about the secondary effects it could cause. I’ll definitely get this scheduled!

 

[davidpat]

@godsend11 That is a very reasonable price for a dental, I paid just over $1,600 for a full dental with four extractions on my five year old dog. Dentals are extremely important, especially while the dog is healthy enough to be sedated, as the risk of sedation goes up generally the older the dog gets.

Poor dental health can also actually lead to other internal issues, such as heart and gut problems, so the sooner you nip it in the bud and are able to maintain them once they are clean the better off your pup and your wallet will be.

 

[penandpep]

@godsend11 I just did this with my 7-yr old dog. Her teeth weren’t even very bad but I figured she’s in the middle of her life and I never brush them, so I made the investment now figuring I’ll probably only do it once more in her lifetime, if that. It’s totally legitimate and I saw it as cost-saving in the long run because it’s preventive. The anesthesia was no problem!

Edit: I once heard from a vet that you’d have to brush your dog’s teeth every day in order for it to be effective, which is just not realistic for me.

 

[grapes011]

@godsend11 Dental cleanings are just as important for your pet’a health as they are for you! However, it IS possible to get it done anesthesia-free!!!! I work at a pet store and we have a monthly teeth-cleaning clinic. The woman who runs the company we partner with used to be a human dentist, so she’s very qualified and professional and knows exactly what she’s doing. The cost is MUCH cheaper without the anesthesia.. she only charges $180! Anesthesia is not only expensive, but it is also potentially dangerous if you are not aware of any pre-existing heart problems are any other issues your pet has. You could seriously put your fur-baby at risk by putting them under. With an anesthesia free cleaning, they may not be able to do anything serious like tooth extraction, but you’ll still be able to get a deep thorough cleaning (that you wouldn’t be able to do at home!) and a full evaluation. I’d definitely look into it! Good luck!

 

[pmichel]

@grapes011 Anesthesia-free dental cleaning are not supported by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (run by the veterinary dentists' professional body) because they're ineffective. The American Veterinary Medical Association (which represents all American vets) has declared them "unacceptable and below the standard of care," which is some of the strongest/most clear cut language I've seen them use on a position.

Also, in the studies to investigate if anesthesia-free dentals were a viable idea (because we don't just dismiss stuff that strongly without a reason), the vast majority of the dogs undergoing anesthesia-free dental cleaning followed immediately by an anesthetic cleaning were found to have tartar left under the gumline or issues in the mouth that couldn't have been addressed without anesthesia (such as needing extractions). You also can't take dental x-rays without anesthesia, which is how you find a lot of issues under the surface (unhealthy/dead teeth, fractured roots, abscesses, tumors). So the anesthetic-free procedure might make the teeth look nice, but it skips over the much bigger, more important aspects of oral health.

The practitioners of anesthesia-free dentals say they recommend follow-up with a vet for a normal dental if they notice any issues but A) that requires them to notice issues in a an awake animal without the help of x-rays and B) requires a non-vet to try to diagnose conditions (which they're not trained to do). The two combined result is dogs with inappropriately treated mouths and owners who feel good about that inappropriate treatment because it's cheaper and easier than whatever their money-hungry vet was pushing. /s

Sources:
www.avdc.org/dentalscaling.html
www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/160201a.aspx

 

[grapes011]

@pmichel You sound like you know a lot about the topic, you make some really good points! I just think it’s good to know all your options so you don’t feel trapped. Even just brushing your pet’s teeth at home is better than nothing! An anesthesia-free cleaning will never be as thorough as one with anesthesia though, you’re right.

 

[infjchristian]

@godsend11 I kinda feel if the teeth cleaning is so essential,vets would make caring for the teeth less expensive so more dogs could get their teeth cleaned.

 

[infjchristian]

@godsend11 My vet recommend an additive I put into the water bowl. Several are available at pet store and online. I had to introduce it slowly and even added a bit if broth to the water at first. He drinks it just fine. His teeth look great. I do stick a brush on my finger weekly and give guns a rub. Hope this helps.

 

[cdymund]

@godsend11 That is really very harsh, you can actually use a bamboo toothbrush instead and I'm sure everything will be safe , cheaper and less-stress for you and your dog

 

[cathya]

@godsend11 Really depends on the dog. My parents Pom (a breed notorious for poor teeth) had brilliant teeth his whole life. My rescue pitbull began to lose interest in chewing bones and eventually solid food over a few months. Her teeth didn’t look horrible but I took her in anyways. Turned out her very back upper molar (so impossible for myself or the vet to see) was cracked. After the pull her appetite came right back.

Play it by ear. Is your dog chewing bones enthusiastically? No redness around the gums? Eating kibble no problem (no tilting their head to the side or carefully chewing it)? Good breath? You can probably do without then. A lot of tartar can be scraped off by providing raw bones or even just using your fingernail on it.

 

[marissapedroza]

@godsend11 Teeth cleaning is 100% necessary. As for the $425 price tag, that isn't necessary. Search around, I pay $100 for my dogs teeth cleaning (anesthesia-free). Just understand that the cheaper cleaning probably isn't going to be as convenient as just getting it done with your vet. I had to drive an hour away to find a mobile cleaning clinic that was cheap.

 

[infjchristian]

@godsend11 I've owned 5 dogs they never have had their teeth cleaned. I did brush them myself. None ever had any teeth pulled. If it's so necessary I don't get why they don't make it affordable. Do they care about the pet or not.
Recently my vet said to purchase fog mouthwash ,sold at pet stores. She said if I add that to the water bowl, it would kill the bacteria that could cause teeth problems.