This “practice” goes by many names including Anesthesia-Free Dentistry (AFD), Non-Professional Dental Scaling, Gentle Dentistry, Anesthesia-Free Tooth Grooming. Whatever you call it, it is a terrible idea and owners should be aware that it has the risk to do harm and has no hope of providing benefit. Yet, there are many people who promote and provide AFD around the world.
I have no jurisdiction so cannot do much to shut these businesses down, but I can provide resources here to inform pet owners and help practitioners get the word out. That is what this page is about. I will be sharing various documents, videos and links here. If you are aware of others that I could include, please send me a message through the Contact page.
Blog posts on Anesthesia-Free Dentistry
CVO Position on Veterinary Dentistry, 2008.
In 2008, the CVO published their Position Statement on Veterinary Dentistry. That is what this post is about.
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Court Ruling on AFD in Ontario in 2014
A bulleting from the CVO regarding a court ruling in Ontario in 2014.
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Contempt Proceedings, 2015
A bulleting from the CVO outlining the cease order and fine levied against the plaintiff for failing to comply with…
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A step backwards – 2017 Court Ruling
Since it is malpractice for a licensed veterinary to perform AFD in Ontario, when a lay person is doing it,…
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My Video on Anesthesia-Free Dentistry
I have produced a 20-minute video outlining why anesthesia-free dentistry is not currently illegal in Ontario but is still bad…
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One-page synopsis of 2017 court ruling on AFD
This is a one-page synopsis on the Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s 2017 ruling on AFD. It contains links to…
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AVDC Position Statement on Companion Animal Dental Scaling without Anesthesia
This post contains the Position Statement on AFD from the American College of Veterinary Dentistry as published in 2004.
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From the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on AFD.
Here is a link to a pdf of the Position Statement from the RCVS on Anesthesia-Free Dentistry.
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AFD Resources from the AVDC
The American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) has compiled a number of resources for pet owners and veterinarians regarding Anesthesia-Free Dentistry…
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Short Video on AFD from VNN
Here is a link to a 3.5 minute video warning against Anesthesia-Free Dentistry
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AFD Position Statement from FECAVA
FECAVA and many other European veterinary groups have posted a position statement warning against Anesthesia-Free Dentistry.
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Guidelines for Dental Care
Here are links to the 2019 AAHA Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats and the WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines.…
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