Anesthesia-Free Dentistry: What’s the Big Deal?
Comparing Anesthesia-Free Dentistry vs. Traditional Veterinary COHAT
When it comes to dental care for pets, you’ve likely heard of two options: anesthesia-free dentistry and traditional COHAT (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment). Understanding the difference is key to making an informed decision about your pet’s oral health.
We get it—there’s a natural appeal (and a lot of confusion) around this topic. Skipping the cost, stress, and recovery time of a full dental procedure sounds pretty great. And hey, humans get their teeth cleaned without anesthesia—so why shouldn’t it be the same for pets?
Well… have you ever tried giving a cat a bath? How’d that go? Now imagine asking that same cat to hold still while someone checks the probing depth of each tooth. Or asking a Rottweiler to bite down—gently—for a dental x-ray.
The truth is, pets don’t understand what we’re doing—or why. They can’t sit still while we poke sharp tools around potentially sensitive areas of their mouths. Restraint becomes stressful, risky, and far less effective than working with a pet who’s safely and comfortably asleep. Most importantly it means that anesthesia free dentistry is limited in terms of how thorough, and safe the cleaning can be.
For me it helps to think of anesthesia-free dentistry like an express car wash—it makes things look shiny on the outside, but skips everything under the hood. Whereas a COHAT is a full-service treatment—cleaning, detailing, inspection, and repairs included. Both have pros and cons, but when it comes to true long-term oral health the difference is night and day (see the image below).
RIGHT:photograph of a dog who has had anesthesia free dental cleaning.
LEFT: There is very little calculus and you can see mild gum recession. BLUE line = level that the bone SHOULD be. RED line = the actual level of the bone.
Anesthesia-Free Dentistry:
AKA: The Express Car Wash – Looks Good, Runs Rough
Anesthesia-free dental cleanings focus solely on visible tooth surfaces while your pet is awake. Here’s what this approach offers:
Pros:
🔹 No anesthesia risk – avoids complications for pets with medical concerns.
🔹 Quick and affordable – often appeals to budget-conscious pet owners.
🔹 Polishes the crown – the visible part of the tooth looks great.
Important Note
While appealing for pets that cannot undergo anesthesia, this method misses 60% of tooth surfaces and cannot address existing dental disease.
Cons:
🔹Cannot clean below the gumline – where periodontal disease begins and hides
🔹 No pain control – procedures can be uncomfortable or painful without anesthesia or numbing.
🔹Requires physical restraint, which can be stressful for some pets and poses a risk of injury if pets move while sharp tools are involved.
🔹No X-rays or full oral exam – hidden issues like root abscesses or bone loss go undetected.
🔹No extractions or treatment – even painful, infected teeth are left untouched.
Traditional COHAT Under Anesthesia: The Gold Standard
AKA: Full-Service Car Wash – Detail, Diagnosis, and Repair Included
A complete dental cleaning and assessment under general anesthesia which help your pet keep their teeth longer and without pain.
Pros:
🔹 Thorough cleaning above and below the gumline. This is where the real issues—like periodontal disease—often hide. If you don’t clean below the gumline dental disease will progress to tooth loss.
🔹 Dental X-rays included – essential for evaluating for tooth health, bone disease, deep infections.
🔹 Complete oral exam – evaluates tongue, cheeks, tonsils, lymph nodes where oral cancers could be hiding
🔹 Pain management throughout the procedure – reduces stress, and ensures a comfortable experience for your pet.
🔹 Can remove infected or damaged teeth – relieving pain and improving health.
Cons:
🔹 Requires anesthesia – always a consideration, but generally safe with modern monitoring, bloodwork, and experienced care.
Important Fact: The risk of serious anesthetic complications in healthy pets is extremely low (<0.1%), while untreated dental disease carries significant health risks.
Let’s Compare: COHAT to Anesthesia free
|
Feature
|
Anesthesia-Free Dentistry
|
Traditional COHAT
|
|---|---|---|
|
Exam above & below gumline (X-rays + probing)
|
❌ No
|
✅ Yes
|
|
Full oral exam (tongue, tonsils, cheeks, etc.)
|
❌ No
|
✅ Yes
|
|
Cleaning below the gumline
|
❌ No
|
✅ Yes
|
|
Ability to treat or extract diseased teeth
|
❌ No
|
✅ Yes
|
|
Polishes visible tooth surface
|
❌ No
|
✅ Yes
|
|
Anesthesia risk
|
✅ No
|
⚠️ Yes (managed)
|
|
Risk of Trauma
|
🔼 High
|
🔽 Low
|
|
Practitioner training level
|
📉 Minimal to none
|
🎓 Extensive
|
|
Cost
|
💲 Lower
|
💲 Higher
|
While anesthesia-free cleanings may appear attractive initially, they provide only cosmetic benefits. It’s like washing a car with a failing transmission: shiny on the outside, trouble under the hood. For pets with dental disease (which affects 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over age 3), traditional COHAT isn’t just better—it’s the only effective option. It allows veterinarians to diagnose, prevent, and treat real disease. Traditional COHAT is the gold standard.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and American Veterinary Dental College recommend anesthesia-assisted dental care because:
1. It’s safer – Proper monitoring makes modern anesthesia extremely low-risk
2. It’s more thorough – Addresses the actual sources of dental disease
3. It’s kinder – Your pet experiences no stress or discomfort
4. It’s diagnostic – Allows early detection of serious oral health issues
Yes, anesthesia should always be taken seriously, but for most pets, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
– The Yonge Sheppard Animal Hospital Team 🐾💚