Dental work for dogs - annual cleanings?

Mylo

So I just remembered that my pet insurance policy covers annual cleanings at the vet. I'm talking about the whole day surgery thing. Is it necessary to do once a year? Is it bad for Mylo to go under full anesthesia annually? Is there anything I should be cautious about? He had two teeth pulled last year (when I first got him) b/c he had brutal cavities, and he had the cleaning done at the same time. I don't brush his teeth (he just won't have it). He does chew on Denta Sticks pretty often though, as well as his Bully Stick. What do you guys think?

WrylyBrindle

Ask your vet to look in his mouth ans see if there's anything building up. If he doesn't need it, I'd skip it. If he is prone to tooth or gum problems, then it makes sense to maintain strictly, but I dont like 'em going under anesthesia too often.

Neither of my dogs has had a cleaning (Reilly is 6 yo.) Only one cat has, because he needed an extraction, so they did the full cleaning while they were in there. Reilly has soft teeth, rounded and rather brown, but she has no calculus buildup, no gum disease and sweet breath. Every checkup I ask, envisioning her coming back to me with sparking white choppers, but the vet says she doesn't medically need it, that her teeth are stained and that she is just really tough on her teeth. So we don't do it. I dont brush her teeth, she enjoys greenies and chew toys. Sometimes I put the toothpaste in the grooves of her groovie kong thingy for her, but i doubt it makes any real difference...