I try to brush my babies teeth too but darn I have a hard time getting the back teeth. I also do dentals but it seems they start showing tartar about a year after the dental. I just try and do the best I can for them.

I'm glad that you've had good experiences. But I feel totally the opposite. Intubation is dangerous as is putting a dog under anesthesia and should not be considered a routine procedure. In my opinion yearly is too often and certainly twice yearly is only going to benefit the vet's pocket book at the expense of your dog's well being. I hope that people will not take this procedure lightly and consider the risks because there are risks.

I had one pup who had dentals yearly...and sometimes more often. She had horrible teeth. My Sassy lived to be 17! She did not have CT.
There are risks associated with everything. Risk vs benefit. My pups will not die due to diseased mouths.
To each his own. :)

When Ellie had a tartar filled mouth, I had a vet tell me that she was more likely to die from it than from anesthesia - and he was right. Dental disease is very serious. It can affect the organs drastically.

Just remember that things don't go wrong as often as the internet makes it look. I've seen quite a few dentals and never heard of CT after one. InBectubation does cause tracheal irritation. Rarely it is long term. The benefits of placing the tube far outweigh the risks.

Ellie's vet does dentals on her dog yearly. She isn't making money from that, but it's the right thing to do because he needs them. That's not to say that all dogs need them yearly, but depending on the dog and the homecare, they may. Vets get services for cheap or free, sure, but standard of care is still the same. They have their dogs on heartworm preventative and flea preventative. They spay and neuter their pets. They do dentals when needed, etc.

Because there are horror stories all over the internet, I try to go to a trusted source for this kind of thing. Veterinary textbooks would have incidents of this kind of thing happening and experienced vets would know from their own practice.

And scaling create pits, so the teeth need to be buffed after. That is why I would not do it.

Excellent post! I highlighted the one sentence because it is SO true!

I hope that people take all information and make the best decision for their dogs. And carefully observe your dog after surgeries, especially older dogs. But please don't make statements such as intubation does not irritate the trachea. That is untrue information.

Where did I make that statement?

You are correct. I hope that people DO make the best decision for their pups. Right now I have a pup in my home who is estimated to be five years old with horrible periodontal disease. :( She lost six teeth (came to me missing others as well) and the two bottom canines were left in due to the fear that her jaw will fracture if they are pulled. They were packed with antibiotics...and when she is adopted, we will encourage a veterinary dental specialist for her. So sad that someone loved her so much (she is very sweet) but clearly did not take proper care of her. Oh...and her BUN and Creatinine were mildly elevated...most likely due to the periodontal disease.

You are correct and I totally agree. For the first time ever, mine had to have dentals nine months apart and we brush teeth. She is not going to become ill due to a diseased mouth!:)

How does the vet determine when the dog needs a dental? For instance, how much tartar?

I'm the first one to make the decision.:) I've been at this for many years. I just know by looking. Her dr has never disagreed. Believe me, I am never eager to have her placed under anesthesia. It scares me to death, but I also know the dangers of not having it done. I don't want her to lose any teeth. Neither do I want her to become ill from diseased teeth. She has never lost any teeth so far.

That is great! That is my hope for my boys. Teddy is starting to get a little junk along the gum line of a couple of teeth. I wish scaling didn't pit the teeth, as Crystal noted, because he will let me do it. Both my boys have let me do it, but I stopped when I learned it would do harm.

How do I know when the time is right to have a dental?

When the tartar is built up too much! Actually, I can tell by looking at my girl's, but if you feel it needs to be done, then just take them in and ask the dr. I don't know how to explain it.:confused:

Hi,
Scaling does not "pit" the teeth. If done roughly it can scratch the enamel which is what supposedly can then give tarter a place to adhere to on the tooth. But if you can gently clean your dogs teeth with your dental scaler than that is ALWAYS preferable to having the vet put the dog under and doing the cleaning. And although some don't want to discuss this aspect of the procedure, there are vets that charge extremely high amounts to do this. It's how they make their money folks.

After you scale the teeth brush well and dip the brush in peroxide. That kills bacteria. If you can keep up with the tarter then you're not going to scratch the teeth and your dog will be FAR better off than doing yearly dentals at the vet.

I'll have our vet take a look. Would love to see some pictures. I'm going to try to find some resources on this subject.

Someone here once mentioned that after scaling, dentists use a special polish. Why can't we have this polish? When I go to the dentist myself, the doctor scrapes aggressively and pulls hard with the scaler. What I have done on my dogs is much, much gentler.

Not all vets push procedures and treatments for $. Our first vet did, but we found a really good doctor who does what he thinks is best for the dog.

I think what they use after cleaning is a sealant. I don't really know, but I doubt it would be something safe to use except after they've been cleaned or we would be sealing bacteria underneath?