Quote Originally Posted by Giselle
I would have to agree. Anesthesia is much safer now. There are new protocols and even highly susceptible breeds (i.e. Collies and Greyhounds) can undergo modern anesthesia safely.

IV fluids should definitely be used with dental patients. Of all common medical procedures, I would say that dentals usually take the longest time. Now, I'm talking about common medical procedures like spays, neuters, minor cyst/skin tag removals, etc. Dentals on a dog with bad teeth could easily run up to an hour or more, especially if you're removing molars or canines. Spays and neuters, on the other hand, merely last around 15-20 minutes at most and some clinics offer IV fluids as an option.
Thats a good point I didn't think of the time issue, of course the risk of them waking would be less so the dose could probably be lower, or at least not as devastating during a dental.