I’ve recently had painfully personal experience with this. And it’s not a joke, even in humans.

Thanks in advance!

“As for Canine Care, in 2004, the Veterinary Medical Board of California ordered the owner of Canine Care, Cindy Collins, to stop “teaching, performing and directing others to perform” the procedure, after administrative law judge Ralph B. Dash said she should be “permanently enjoined” from doing so.”

Specifically, I think you’re vastly under-estimating the importance of a below the gum examination and cleaning for cats and dogs, and over-estimating the above the gum procedures, because of your background in human dentistry.

Yes, getting visible tartar off the surface of the tooth has some benefit to dogs and cats, and I’ll be careful not to say otherwise in the future. But that benefit is far less for dogs and cats than for humans, because they almost never suffer from dental decay as we do, and that’s not what dog and cat dental procedures are aiming to prevent. It can reduce inflammation and pain (always good), it can make their breath smell better (good for the human-animal bond). Beyond that, it’s just cosmetic and, as I said, provides owners with a false sense of having done something for their pet’s health, when serious disease can be and often is lurking out of sight.

As to your point about lifespan, not only do very young cats and dogs often have periodontal disease, some of less than 10 years old have such severe periodontal disease that their teeth are literally falling out of their mouths. A cat can live more than 20 years; toy dogs, who tend to have worse dental problems than larger dogs, can frequently live well into the teens.

Last, you state this:

As for inhaling the debris resulting from teeth cleaning… the only true concern is if the patient has a history of cardiac issues or a compromised immune system. In such cases, antibiotics are administered prior to dental treatments to protect the patient from endocarditis.

This is factually incorrect. Inhaling dental debris doesn’t cause endocarditis, it causes aspiration pneumonia. Prophylactic abx do nothing to prevent this condition, and it can affect any animal, not just one with a compromised immune system or a heart problem. It’s a very serious issue with pets, far less so with humans.

About me: Registered Dental Assistant (20 yrs), Ontario supragingival scaling licensed.

Supragingival scaling (scraping above the gumline) is not a useless or non-beneficial treatment. We do it everyday on human beings and both the Canadian and American Dental Boards (along with endless dental research studies) confirm the value of removing calculus from the coronal surfaces of teeth. Further studies have now shown that the consistent control of supragingival plaque results in better subgingival oral health. In fact, the studies below found that with nothing more than supragingival cleaning, the study subjects saw an improvement in subgingival health. See the peer reviewed, published dental journal articles cited below:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.....x/abstract

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.....x/abstract

Is it comprehensive? No. Ultimately, calculus needs to be removed from below the gumline to avoid long term development of periodontal disease. Sub-gingival decay, however, is not common. Most decay develops above the gumline, either just at the gumline margin or in the deep grooves and crevices of the teeth.

Basic logic tells you that if the plaque and calculus above the gumline is reduced, then those areas as less inclined to develop decay. Further, reducing the overall bacteria in the mouth can only be helpful to the patient’s oral health.

As for inhaling the debris resulting from teeth cleaning… the only true concern is if the patient has a history of cardiac issues or a compromised immune system. In such cases, antibiotics are administered prior to dental treatments to protect the patient from endocarditis.

As for the issue of coronal polishing post scaling. Suggesting that the rough surface left behind after scaling is more inclined to attract plaque is faulty logic. The point of coronal polishing is to smooth the tooth surface. In simple terms, the smoother the surface of a tooth the more difficult it is for bacteria to adhere to the tooth. While tooth may be rough after scaling, it certainly would not have a rougher surface that a blanket of calculus over a tooth would. Further, a light polishing with dentrifice, even done with just a cotton swab, will aid in smoothing the tooth surface.

So there are many benefits to having your pet’s teeth cleaned routinely, even if only above the gumline calculus reduction is done.

That said, I will agree that these procedures should be performed by someone training in dental techniques. You can damage the enamel if scaling is performed improperly. Hands lacking the necessary intraoral dexterity can easily slip and hurt the pet’s intraoral tissues. These instruments are sharp, very sharp to be effective.

I personally wouldn’t take my pet to a groomer who hasn’t been properly trained in dental procedures. Unfortunately too many people decide one day to hang out a shingle offering pet dental cleaning and they are suddenly able to do the work. But nor would I put my pet under GA every six months for teeth cleaning. Instead I would seek an individual (either at a vet or an independent location) who can prove to me they have had sufficient training in supragingival cleaning.

But I must argue that most vets only determine that a pet requires dental treatment when they see visible decay (not ascertained through intraoral radiography to identify it early or interproximally) or when they see a great deal of calculus build up on the teeth. I’ve never had a vet take the three minutes to probe my pet’s mouth. Probing reveals perio pockets and provides an opportunity to feel subgingival calculus build up. So arguing that a vet is the be all and end all of animal oral care is a bit of a stretch too. Ultimately, it’s like anything else… do your research. Has your vet taken additional training on animal dental treatment? Does your vet do a comprehensive oral exam of your dog… or do they glance at the gum tissues while they wait for the rectal thermometer? Most dentists would view the average vet’s oral exam as a joke. It’s all relative.

My approach to my pet’s oral care: Regular supragingival cleanings (every 6-12 months depending on rate of calculus accumulation) combined with annual vet checks suffice. Monitor your animal’s teeth for obvious signs of decay, indications of oral pain (not chewing well, wincing while chewing) and brush their teeth as frequently as you can (daily is ideal but usually unrealistic — weekly is a pretty good average). I simply don’t see the need to apply the same diligent oral hygiene approach to pets as to humans simply because the longevity of the teeth is less. Periodontal bone loss takes years to develop to the point of causing the loss of teeth. In human’s we are trying to maintain teeth for 80+ years thus it’s imperative to stop any damage as quickly as possible. The life span of a pet is usually 10-20, the approach can be less vigilent. The goal is to maintain viable mastication (chewing) for their lifetime.

Bottom line… I feel your article is misleading by claiming that supragingival cleaning is ineffective and has no benefits. Reducing tooth decay will help pets keep their teeth longer and regular teeth cleanings (even just supragingival) will reduce the overall bacteria in the mouth. I do agree that these should be supported with comprehensive subgingival cleanings when needed (most likely every few years) and annual vet examinations. Most importantly, and perhaps the true concern you wished to convey in your article, these procedures need to be performed by someone sufficiently trained in dental procedures to be both safe and effective.

Comment by Lyle — August 18, 2010

That is not a dental procedure. That is a placebo to rip off people while making them feel they’re getting the same thing, but “safer.”

As for the greyhound, what makes YOU qualified to know that those teeth didn’t need to be pulled?

We repeat: Your hairdresser isn’t a dentist. And neither is your groomer.

I’d say this is bad medicine, but it’s not medicine at all: It’s misrepresentation at best, and fraud at worst. And it’s not remotely ethical, preying on the fear of anesthesia to promote substandard care.

Christie, if you have not seen the procedure done yet with a certified trained vet tech, you should not be committing on this. Unless you are strictly supporting the Vets that are fighting against the procedure for your own reasons.

Canine Care has been taken to court by Vet Board twice and Canine Care won both cases, due to the ruling that scaling devices are permitted “as long as those devices are not used between the gum and tooth area.” Just for a cleaning. This took place in 1988 in the Superior Court of San Joaquin County.

I have a pet service and my clients do not want to pay the enormous fees the vet charges to put their dogs to sleep every 6 months, especially the older dogs…very high risk.

One of my clients sent her 7-year old greyhound to the vet on my recommendations that her teeth needed serious cleaning. She asked them to call her if there were any concerns. Well they did not call her and they pulled 9 teeth, telling her they were loose. She was furious…without her permission. That is why I am looking into introducing this non-anesthesia into my business. You complain about bad tech, do you know how many bad vets are out their not doing a good service for our pets. I have heard all kinds of stories like this one from my clients. People do not even trust all vets anymore, some are not trustworthy, charging unbelieveable fees and making mistakes.

I have recently started offering tooth-brushing services (added to nail trimming) to a couple of my training clients. :P However, I consider it a training issue- it’s the regular old pet toothbrush + the nasty chicken toothpaste and while the initial goal is getting pets’ teeth some regular care, the longer term goal is getting them to allow their owners to do it.

I love it!

I am picturing them skulking around behind bushes. popping out occasionally to shriek in indignation at random intervals then scuttle off

Oops, pardon. That ought to be SHRIEK