Anaesthesia and Analgesia

In this episode of the WSAVA Podcast, interviewer Gottfried Morgenegg-Wegmüller speaks with two experts about what safe, effective dentistry really requires, and why pain management cannot be an afterthought.

First, Dr Brook A. Niemiec unpacks why “anaesthesia-free dentistry” is not dentistry at all. He explains what gets missed when you cannot probe, scale subgingivally, or take diagnostic dental radiographs, and why cosmetic cleaning can create a false sense of security while disease, pain, and infection continue beneath the gumline.

In the second conversation, Dr Eva Eberspächer-Schweda focuses on practical approaches to safe anaesthesia and analgesia in dental patients. She explores how preparation, monitoring, and thoughtful pain control support better outcomes, and how teams can speak with confidence about risk, welfare, and the benefits of appropriate dental care.

Together, these conversations reinforce a simple principle: good dentistry depends on good anaesthesia. With the right protocols and communication, veterinary teams can protect patient welfare while delivering the care that dental disease demands.

Resources & Links

• WSAVA Global Dental Committee
• WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines
• WSAVA Educational Resources
• Evaluating the validity and reliability of a visual dental scale for detection of periodontal disease in non-anesthetized dogs
• Anesthesia-free dentistry does not provide any demonstrable medical benefit for the control of periodontal disease in dogs

Contributors

• Dr Brook A. Niemiec DVM, DAVDC, DEVDC – Website | Instagram | VDS Pets
• PD Dr. Eva Eberspächer-Schweda, FTA, Dipl. ACVAA – LinkedIn | Website | Instagram
• Gottfried Morgenegg-Wegmüller – Website

Click here for the full transcript

This podcast was edited and produced by Contento Media Ltd.