The perils of anesthesia-free dentistry in pets - DVM
Pics of the inevitable outcome...
No good exam, no probing, no getting anywhere close enough under the gums, risky restraint, and a false sense of good oral health because the teeth are white... What is happening on the visible surface, when scraped off, can no longer be a gage of oral health.
More bacteria is swallowed, more risk of aspirating, risk of oral damage, etc.