[107barney]

I would personally go with xrays. I had my dog done today and his xrays show Bone loss and areas of concern to be watched. You wouldn't know looking at his mouth how severe his periodontal disease is. He has a short upper jaw and rotated teeth so he is a tartar magnet. They told me today if I wasn't brushing every single day he probably would've lost a lot more teeth.

I would go with Xrays. It is worth the extra money. And yes the teeth can not only crumble but the jaw can break if they incorrectly remove certain teeth like lower canines.