Anesthetic based dental prophylaxis versus non-anesthetic cleaning…now the controversy begins! Virtually all the board certified veterinary dentists in the United States are in agreement that non-anesthetic cleaning cannot accomplish their intended health goals and are at best cosmetic, and at worst, detrimental. It is almost impossible to clean and examine the insides of the back teeth unless a dogs mouth remains fully open without movement for the full hour or so it takes to adequately clean, polish and examine both the visible aspects of the tooth and the tooth under the gum line where most of the disease causing abnormalities and inflammation will be found.