“Cosmetic” cleaning, also called anesthesia free cleaning, is the removal of the visible calculus with hand instruments on an awake patient.
Cosmetic cleaning is NOT RECOMMENDED.
Cosmetic cleanings are marketed as a way to clean your pet’s teeth without anesthesia. Unfortunately, this is just a superficial or surface cleaning that does nothing to address the diseased tissue(s) or the pain from periodontal disease.
The most commonly verbalized concern or fear by pet parents is anesthesia. It is important to acknowledge that anesthesia is stressful and understanding why it is necessary does not remove the fact that it is scary.
For teeth cleaning to have health benefits, all the plaque & calculus needs to be removed from both above & below the gum line. This is not possible to do safely on an awake patient.
Additionally, any tooth that is scaled should also be followed by polishing.
This process smooths out any micro etches made on the enamel. Leaving these micro etches leaves a roughened surface that gives plaque and calculus more surface area to attach.
Teeth cleaning is not the only component of oral health for pets. A COHAT (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment & Treatment) will also be performed.
This is a full tooth-by-tooth examination including; visual examination, cleaning & polishing of the teeth, dental radiographs, & probing of the gingival pockets. This allows for a full assessment of each tooth, staging of periodontal disease & making a treatment plan for your pets’ oral health.
The reality is that with only the visible calculus removed, you will think that you have helped, but removing some calculus & ignoring diseased tissue offers no health benefits.
If the option is a cosmetic cleaning or nothing, doing nothing is better, as the risks of cosmetic cleaning do not outweigh the benefits!
In addition, these practices are dangerous for your pet as sharp instruments are being used on them awake. This can lead to trauma or injury with one slip from the staff or movement from your pet.
