Yes, I do have the occasional Biblical reference in me.  Being the wife of a chaplain, I probably should, right?  I’m sure many out there have read the verse in the book of Matthew that reads, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean”.  How could this possibly apply to Veterinary Medicine, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.

There is a trend in our nation of companies providing and recommending non-anesthetic dental cleaning for pets, mainly dogs.  I don’t think it has quite reached Memphis, but I’m sure it will at some point.  I maintain that these non-anesthetic dental cleanings leave a pet’s teeth kind of like those whitewashed tombs.  They look good, but there is probably still dental disease present.  For those who haven’t heard of these cleanings, it involves a person (in many cases, not a veterinarian or a veterinary technician) using a hand instrument to scale a dog’s teeth.  They advertise it as safer and less expensive than the traditional way we vets do it. 

My good friend Jim Humpries recently did a story about non-anesthetic dental cleanings.  

For those who don’t have time to watch the video today, let me sum up Jim’s points. 

•  It is very difficult for any pet, no matter how well behaved, to sit still enough so that their teeth can be safely scaled.
• No matter how still a pet is, it is impossible to scale the teeth under the gums (where the real disease is) while the patient is awake.
• Non-anesthetic dental cleanings can lead to injuries from instruments, neck muscle injuries or just anxiety that makes future vet visits unbearable.

If these “dentistry” places begin to pop up in Memphis, use your common sense and steer clear of them.  Dentistry is medical care.  You want the person taking care of your pet’s teeth to be able to properly and safely care for them.  You also need to have someone who is able to do a thorough exam for cancers or other medical issues.  I have diagnosed oral tumors during routine dental cleanings that were never seen when the patient was awake.  Non-anesthetic dentistry may “save” money in the short run, but it is likely to cause injury or stress and ultimately isn’t taking care of the real problem, which is lying under your pet’s gums.  Do the smart thing and trust medical care to medical professionals:  your veterinarian and his or her staff.