Dental cleaning?

Dental cleanings are a must for dogs/cats that need them. If your dog does not need one - there is no reason to do it.

Dental cleanings for dogs with bad teeth can prevent a lot of issues later on down the line - like gum infections, heart problems, and other things. Remember - once the teeth/gums become infected - the infection just drains into the rest of the body - causing boatloads of problems for dogs.

Smaller dogs are more prone to dental problems than big dogs (except greyhounds... they have horrendous teeth!)

And just fyi -- how they do it depends on the vet and his relationship with your dog.  My vet never sedates - he ONLY masks them down.  The highest risk surgically is that combo of anesthesia and sedative.  alone the anesthesia is far less problematic. 

The reason FOR the combo is because the masking down procedure can make some dogs panic -- my vet is comfortable enough with my dogs to do without sedation. 

But yeah -- Erica is exactly right -- you do the dental if it *needs* to be done. 

 I have two dogs of breeds KNOWN for having nasty teeth. Bean hasn't needed a dental, yet, at almost two, and that is considered pretty great. Jewel had one, when she was spayed. Emma had one, a few years ago, when she broke a tooth, but honestly? She's never needed her teeth cleaned, either. I just had them done, since she was getting dental work, anyways. Some dogs are genetically wired for great teeth. Some dogs are not. Sometimes, doing GREAT dental stuff at home (like your brushing and feeding raw bones) keeps dogs from ever needing a dental, and sometimes, they still need one yearly. It seems to be a breed predisposition and luck of the draw thing. Definitely not a must for all dogs, especially when they're youngish.

yep, as said above, they are only needed if the dog has tartar buildup or other dental problems.  Ginger's former owner fed her horrible food..she had a dental right after we adopted her two years ago and will need another next year. Because of her jaw, she cannot chew bones (though we do give her raw meat), so stuff seems to buildup.

 Jules, at 8, has not needed a dental yet. (pretty great for a Yorkie) We give him lots of chews and bones and that helps a ton.

 Working around anesthetics daily, I'm pretty comfortable when my kids have to have procedures. I know that whoever is doing anesthesia that day (I do not do procedures on my own pets) will use the lowest amount possible, as is done with all pets. It doesn't mean I don't hover a bit and anxiously wait until they're done, but I think that's just a given