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What are safe, effective ways to clean my dog's teeth without anesthesia?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 24 lbs

My vet has advised me to have my dog's teeth cleaned. Keeping my dog healthy is important to me, but I am very concerned about the anethesia. My dog will not let me brush his teeth. He is a cocker spaniel mix. What other options are there for cleaning his teeth that do not involve anesthesia but are as effective?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on May 30th, 2018

Hi there. I'm afraid there is really nothing as effective as a proper dental cleaning under anesthesia. If your dog won't allow you to brush his teeth, then your options are even more limited. You can try providing things for him to chew on, such as bully sticks and natural rawhides, which can help some to keep teeth cleaner. A company called Healthy Mouth makes a water additive that has been shown to help reduce plaque, so you could try this also if you like. Honestly, though, I would strongly consider having the dental cleaning done if this is what your veterinarian has recommended. Anesthesia for routine procedures like this is extremely safe. Severe dental disease, on the other hand, can cause problems with the heart and kidneys as well as significant pain and discomfort that affects your dog's quality of life. The benefits of having his teeth properly taken care of far outweigh the risks.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Unfortunately there is nothing that will be as effective as a dental. Brushing the teeth is the next best thing but it is more for maintenance than initial treatment. Otherwise the only options are products like vetaquadent that you put in the water or dental chews. I would have a careful chat with your vet as anaesthetics are very safe nowadays. Ask if they use gas Anaesthetic, do they have a trained person monitoring the anaesthetic etc

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 10th, 2018

    If he does not let you brush his teeth, he certainly will not let anyone professionally clean his teeth, which is painful, as the tartar under the gum will have to be removed also. Even with a quiet compliant dog it is not possible to do a proper teeth cleaning without anesthesia. Anyone who claims to do a good professional job without anesthesia is not doing so. Another problem is that if a tooth is damaged, rotten, or loose and needs to be removed, it cannot be done without anesthesia either. I suggest you schedule a teeth cleaning under anesthesia with your veterinarian. Once his teeth are clean you can actually just apply enzymatic tooth paste to his teeth and will not need to brush them, as the enzyme will remove light and fresh tartar.

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