Anesthesia Free Dental Cleaning | Pearly White Pets Review

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We received a complimentary dental cleaning from Pearly White Pets in Gaithersburg MD in exchange for an honest review on Instagram. We had such a positive experience we decided to write this blog post on our own. Pearly White Pets kindly offered a discount code for $20 off a cleaning using NAVYCORGI20. This discount code is valid until April 30th.

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Though pet dental health month was in February, we take dental health seriously in our house. Good oral hygiene is so critical for your pet’s overall health, but often overlooked. Dental problems in pets can lead to other health problems down the road so we try our best to be on top of Navy’s dental health on our own. We (attempt to) manually brush her teeth a few times a week, give her toys and chews designed to help break plaque off her teeth, and add a solution to her water to kill off plaque-causing bacteria. Even though we do these things, we noticed Navy still had a few trouble areas in her mouth. I figured the only way to get these issues looked at and corrected was to take her into the vet for a full oral exam using anesthesia, even though I did not want to put her under.

Is anesthesia bad for dogs? No, not necessarily but anesthesia is certainly a controversial topic when it comes to pets. Over the years veterinary anesthesia has improved and become more safe due to stricter protocols and safer drugs, however, there are still a number of risks associated with it. Soon after we brought Navy home, one of our friend’s took their dog to the vet for a routine dental cleaning. Unfortunately something went wrong during the process and the dog passed away. Ever since hearing this story, I’ve been extremely cautious about putting Navy (and now Duke) under anesthesia, even though I know it is necessary for certain medical procedures.

ANESTHESIA-FREE DENTAL CLEANING

We were introduced to Pearly White Pets, an anesthesia-free teeth cleaning for cats and dogs through Instagram. Our friends @BiscuitandWafflesthecorgis seemed to have a great experience getting their teeth cleaned there, so we decided to make a visit as well. Their main office is in Gaithersburg, Maryland, but don’t let that scare you off! The drive from Arlington took about 30 minutes. They also have a few other locations in Virginia, DC, and Maryland.

So what does anesthesia-free cleaning mean? Pearly White Pets technicians are specially trained in dental hygiene and behavior techniques to calm your pet and keep them comfortable during the cleaning without the use of anesthesia. This approach is not only safer, but more affordable than traditional dental cleanings using anesthesia.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK?

Pearly White Pets’ website does a great job of explaining how their entire process works. In short, after your pet is swaddled they are comfortably positioned on the floor laying in the technician’s lap. The technician uses a body-to-body contact technique to relax your pet and reassure them that they are protected and safe throughout the process. The technicians will spend a few minutes alone bonding with your pet.

Only if your pet is relaxed and comfortable, the technicians will begin the full oral exam, removing plaque and tartar buildup. The technicians use the same specialized tools used in anesthetized cleanings! After the exam, you will receive a full dental report card with a detailed summary of your pet’s visit.

OUR EXPERIENCE AND RESULTS

From the moment we stepped in the door Navy was given a so much love and affection. She was allowed to sniff around the office and get comfortable as the technicians explained the process to us. The staff worked at Navy’s pace–only once Navy was calm (and stopped yapping), they walked her back to the room to start the process. Navy was swaddled and comfy in just a few minutes. I was allowed to peak in on her. If you saw the photos above it was even more adorable to see her swaddled up like a little baby in person.

The staff said the process should only take about 45 minutes since Navy is a smaller dog. I was welcome to either remain in their lobby during the cleaning, or leave and come back. I had a few errands to run so I opted to take care of those and have the staff give me a call when Navy was ready to be picked up.

The cleaning was fast! After Navy was done, the technicians gave me an evaluation of what they saw in Navy’s mouth and explained Navy’s problem areas. Fortunately, Navy had minimal plaque, but she did show signs of wearing on two of her back teeth. We are certainly going to watch how hard she chews on bones and toys from now on!

So do we recommend Pearly White Pets? Will we return? Yes and YES! We highly recommend this company and we will return with Navy and Duke for cleanings next year.

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