{"id":23140,"date":"2023-02-02T18:16:33","date_gmt":"2023-02-02T18:16:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=23140"},"modified":"2023-02-08T21:43:49","modified_gmt":"2023-02-08T21:43:49","slug":"nonanesthetic-dentistry-ce-0223","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/nonanesthetic-dentistry-ce-0223\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Compete With Nonanesthetic Dentistry"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve never been a fan of the dentist. The poking and prodding, my mouth forced wide open, the cold air on my sensitive teeth. None of it is fun. But I know I need to go to the dentist every six months for a cleaning so my teeth stay healthy. Just like eating right, exercising and going to the doctor, visiting the dentist is necessary for my overall wellness.<\/p>\n

You know that pets need regular dental care, too. However, we can\u2019t explain to them why it\u2019s important to their health. We can\u2019t ask them to sit back, close their eyes, open wide and relax while we scrape the tartar off their teeth.<\/p>\n

If going to the dentist can be uncomfortable for humans, it can be downright terrifying and painful for animals. That\u2019s one of several reasons organizations like the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Dental College and the American Animal Hospital Association oppose nonanesthetic dentistry in pets. The dental college\u2019s position statement on \u201cCompanion Animal Dental Scaling Without Anesthesia\u201d dates to 2004.<\/p>\n

Despite the veterinary industry\u2019s opposition, companies offering anesthesia-free dental cleanings are common, and their marketing tactics effectively draw in pet owners.<\/p>\n

For example, HealthySmiles, with locations in Florida and Illinois, claims, \u201cWe deep-clean your pet\u2019s teeth safely, without anesthesia.\u201d According to its website: \u201cFirst, we gently swaddle your pet to ensure it feels safe. Then, we begin the dental cleaning by removing the plaque and calculus on your pet\u2019s teeth. We further clean the bacteria under the gumline and finish by polishing, wiping and rinsing the mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

It goes on: \u201cOur nonanesthetic dentals help reduce the risk of bacterial infections such as periodontal disease<\/a>, which adversely affects your pet\u2019s overall health, causing chronic pain, gum inflammation and, in severe cases, bone loss and organ failure. To avoid these health risks, your pet should have a deep dental cleaning every six months.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HealthySmiles website includes a chart comparing nonanesthetic and anesthetic dentals, touting the former\u2019s shorter procedure time, lack of medications and lab tests, and a less-expensive price tag. In addition, the company shows compelling before-and-after photos. Its workers even will come to you \u2014 no need to leave the house to get a safe, effective, thorough and inexpensive dental cleaning for your pet.<\/p>\n

For the average pet owner, that all sounds pretty good, right? Why pay two or three times as much and put Bella or Max at risk with anesthesia?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen many pet owners who have been doing anesthesia-free dental cleanings for years, and I\u2019ve had to pull many teeth due to abscesses for every one of these patients,\u201d said Monique Weldon, DVM, the owner of Animal Dental Clinic in Aurora, Colorado. \u201cCleaning under the gumline is the most important part of the cleaning, and it\u2019s impossible to do that effectively when a pet isn\u2019t sedated.\u201d<\/p>\n

But do pet owners know that fact? How can veterinary practices compete with the providers of nonanesthetic dental cleanings?<\/p>\n

Here are eight recommendations.<\/p>\n

1. Build Trust With Clients<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Mitchell Bruckert, DVM, who purchased Wales Animal Clinic in suburban Milwaukee in 2021, doesn\u2019t think every pet requires a full dental cleaning annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cI recommend once-yearly exams, and then I go from there,\u201d Dr. Bruckert said. \u201cMost of our bigger dogs don\u2019t have severe dental disease, but a lot of the smaller patients do, so for them, I typically recommend yearly dentals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould it be awesome to do a dental on every patient every year? Yes. From a business perspective, that would be great. But ultimately, is it best for the patient? Sometimes not really.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Bruckert found that being open with clients and tailoring his approach based on each pet\u2019s unique needs rather than sticking to a rigid protocol increases the likelihood that his clients will trust him and agree to his recommendations.<\/p>\n

2. Stress Preventive Dental Care<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Dr. Bruckert talks with his clients about preventive care, teeth brushing and Veterinary Oral Health Council standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I\u2019m realistic with them,\u201d he said. \u201cFor some dogs, you can\u2019t brush their teeth every day. So, it\u2019s about what kinds of other strategies we can use to allow them to get proper dental care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Bruckert\u2019s dog, a 15-year-old miniature poodle, won\u2019t let him brush her teeth. Instead, she eats dental chews, and Dr. Bruckert does his best to mitigate the tartar<\/a>. But it still builds quickly, so he professionally cleans her teeth every six to 12 months. He\u2019s removed a few of her teeth and said her condition would be worse if he weren\u2019t doing as much home care as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring one week recently, I had to remove about 80 teeth from three patients because the disease was so bad,\u201d\u00a0Dr. Bruckert said. \u201cI\u2019ll tell clients about that week, as well as my own dog, in the exam room. Hearing real-life stories helps them understand the importance of preventive care.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Show the Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cIf I see significant dental pathology on my physical exam, I\u2019ll show the client in the exam room,\u201d Dr. Bruckert said. \u201cI saw a patient this week who was only eating on one side of the mouth because of a fractured tooth. I was able to show the pet owner the difference between one side of the mouth, which looked pretty healthy, and the other side of the mouth, which had a lot of dental tartar, so the pet owner was able to see that the dog was selectively chewing. Having the ability to show them right there helps to convince them.\u201d<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t stop there. After you\u2019ve convinced the client and performed the professional cleaning, reveal the differences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be sure we\u2019re showing the value in our services by providing pictures and explanations of dental treatments when we discharge patients,\u201d Dr. Weldon said.<\/p>\n

4. Competitively Price Procedures<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While professional dental cleanings cost more than anesthesia-free dentals, veterinary practices should price their cleanings as competitively as possible and be sure clients understand how the lack of recommended care today might affect their pocketbook in the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe level of care the patient is getting versus sedation-free dentals is better. And in the long term, clients will save money,\u201d Dr. Bruckert said. \u201cIf the pet\u2019s teeth are really that bad, they\u2019re going to have gingivitis and periodontal disease. And at some point, the rooster\u2019s going to come home and we\u2019ll have to approach those dentals with extractions and endodontics, which will cost the client a lot more money.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Explain How You Mitigate the Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When a client expresses concern about anesthesia, Dr. Bruckert responds with how he and his team keep dental patients safe, including with pre-anesthetic bloodwork and thorough monitoring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good thing about a dental is if we encounter a problem during the procedure, we can wake the patient very easily,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re not in their abdomen; we\u2019re just in their mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

6. Thoroughly Train Your Staff<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Client education shouldn\u2019t fall squarely on the shoulders of the veterinarian. According to Dr. Weldon, the more thoroughly trained the support staff members are, the better they\u2019ll be able to educate clients and the more efficient they\u2019ll be during the procedure.<\/p>\n

7. Educate Outside the Exam Room<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Client education doesn\u2019t need to stay within the practice\u2019s four walls. Instead, invest in educational handouts and write blogs and social media posts explaining the differences between professional cleanings and anesthesia-free cleanings, along with the associated risks. Also, link to your posts from client emails, text messages and your e-newsletter.<\/p>\n

8. Explain the Patient\u2019s Perspective<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cMost of our patients are already filled with a little bit of fear, some of them more than others,\u201d Dr. Bruckert said. \u201cWhen you do anesthesia-free dentistry, if you slip, if you cause an injury, that\u2019s going to increase the fear for that pet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we\u2019re doing all our work, yes, they\u2019re going under anesthesia, and they may be waking up with pain, but we do everything we can to mitigate the pain. From the patient\u2019s perspective, that\u2019s less stressful and painful than someone poking around in your mouth with a metal object, scaping your teeth and hitting your gums. It\u2019s unpleasant, even for us humans, and we understand why we\u2019re going to the dentist. Pets don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Bruckert continued: \u201cWe\u2019re in this business for the patient, and we have to think of their experience as they come into our clinic. Sedation-free dentals are ultimately not going to be a good experience for most pets.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A BITE OF LEGAL INFORMATION<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Can anesthesia-free dental cleanings be performed legally in every state? And who can perform these procedures?<\/p>\n

According to Kendall MacGregor, a research specialist with Animal Policy Group, veterinary practice acts do not mention anesthesia-free dental cleanings, but they specify that animal dentistry must be completed by a licensed veterinarian or by a veterinary technician under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.<\/p>\n

The following states permit veterinary technicians or assistants to perform dental work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian:<\/p>\n