The answer is NO..A dental procedure without an anaesthetic is likely to be painful, deliver inadequate treatment and cause profound fear.
Without an anaesthetic we cannot perform a thorough examination of your pet's mouth, and there is simply no way we can diagnose or treat dental problems while your pet is awake. When it comes to gold standard dental care, we can't just ask your pet to sit back and 'open wide.'
It's important to realise that a thorough dental examination requires a patient to be very still for procedures such as radiographs and probing (which may also be painful)
An anaesthetised patient allows us to look for any root problems and potential sources of pain. We can clean under the gums, which cannot be done correctly if your pet is awake. Removing only the calculus that is visible on the tooth is ineffective because it does not fix the source of the problem or enable healing and reversal of the dental disease.
Although some patients will appear to tolerate being restrained for a consious dental procedure, these animals have often 'frozen' and withdrawn into themselves to deal with the fear.
Anaesthesia-free dentistry can potentially mask serious underlying disease and can cause your pet unnecessary pain. You can read more about this on the Australian Veterinary Association website.
If it's been more than a year since your pet's last dental check, please give us a call.
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