Dental scaling
Professional cleaning of teeth under anaesthesia using ultrasonic and hand instruments to remove plaque and tartar above and below the gum line.
Dental scaling is performed under anaesthesia in a vet clinic. The procedure involves a full oral exam, dental X-rays to identify hidden disease (around 30% of significant dental disease is invisible to the naked eye), ultrasonic scaling above and below the gum line, polishing, and extraction of any unsalvageable teeth.
Most pets need scaling every 1–3 years from age 3. Small breeds, brachycephalic breeds, and pets with crowded or misaligned teeth may need it annually.
The anaesthetic concern most owners raise is usually exaggerated for the procedure but underestimated for the alternative — chronic untreated dental disease causes systemic illness, daily pain, and shortens lifespan. Modern anaesthetic protocols make scaling routinely safe for healthy adult and senior pets.
"Anaesthetic-free dental cleaning" is widely marketed but is cosmetic only — it cannot probe below the gum line where the actual disease lives and risks injury to the pet from un-sedated handling.