February is National Pet Dental Health Month, an annual reminder that healthy teeth and gums are essential to your pet’s overall health.
At the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center, we use this month to highlight the importance of routine dental care and help pet families recognize early signs of dental disease. Today’s blogpost will explain how veterinarians deliver dental care—and what you can do at home to support your pet’s oral health.
Why Veterinary Dental Care Matters
Dental disease is one of the most common medical conditions in pets. Without treatment, plaque and tartar buildup can lead to:
Oral pain and infection
Loss of teeth
Spread of infection to major body organs
Diminished quality of life
The good news: routine dental care and early treatment can prevent serious problems.
New Feline Dental Guidelines: What Cat Families Should Know
In November of 2025, the Feline Veterinary Medical Association (Feline VMA) published new dental guidelines for cats. The first recommendation in the new guidelines is to empower a cat’s human family to be active participants in their cat’s oral and dental healthcare. Your role in caring for your cat’s teeth begins in kittenhood, when you should start brushing your cat’s teeth regularly.
Signs Your Cat May Have Dental Disease
The new guidelines also recommend feline families monitor for signs of oral disease, such as:
A bad smell from the mouth
Red or bleeding gums
Strange mouth movements when chewing
Pawing at the face
Excessive drooling
Dropping food when eating
What is COHAT (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment)?
The backbone of veterinary dental care is the Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment, or COHAT.
A COHAT is a full dental evaluation and cleaning performed under general anesthesia, which allows a veterinarian to:
Examine the entire mouth safely and thoroughly
Clean above and below the gumline using sharp dental tools
Take dental X-rays to check tooth roots and bone health
Treat painful or infected teeth when needed
This is similar to the routine dental visits recommended for people—except pets require anesthesia for a safe and complete evaluation.
Why Does Veterinary Dental Care Require Anesthesia?
Many pet families worry about putting their pet under anesthesia. However, anesthesia is the only way to deliver dental care safely and effectively.
At AMC, our board-certified veterinary anesthesiologists oversee and support every COHAT to ensure each pet’s anesthetic protocol is individually tailored and every possible safety precaution is taken.
General anesthesia allows your pet to stay still and pain-free while the dental team performs the COHAT described above.
Without anesthesia, a complete and comfortable dental procedure isn’t possible.
Are “Anesthesia-Free” Dental Cleanings Safe for Pets?
The concern about anesthesia has led to some veterinary practices offering “anesthesia-free” dental cleanings. However, the American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) and the AMC Dentistry and Oral Surgery Service do not endorse this method of delivering dental care.
Anesthesia-free dental cleaning does not allow adequate evaluation of dental structures, nor does it allow cleaning of the inside of the teeth or under the gums. Additionally, without anesthesia, your pet must be physically restrained, which can be stressful and, given the sharp equipment used in dental procedures, dangerous.
The American Veterinary Dental College offers excellent guidance for pet families on their website. I found the “Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian About Pet Dental Cleanings” to be very helpful.
More Trusted Dental Resources for Pet Families
WSAVA Dental Guidelines and Educational Materials
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Dental Committee has a series of free resources for pet owners on toothbrushing, oral cancer and a multi-lingual score sheet to help you determine if your pet has significant dental disease.
Free Online Dental Health Webinar (February 26, 2026)
Want to learn more about veterinary dental care for your pet? Sign up to attend an online seminar on February 26th at 6pm: Dental Health for Dogs and Cats: Signs, Treatment, and At-Home Care hosted by AMC’s Usdan Institute for Animal Health Education. The event is free, but registration is required.