re: How often you get your dog's teeth cleaned by a vet?

Vet told me that once you start, you need to do it every 1.5 - 2 years.

They put them under and there's always the possibility something could go wrong with anesthetia, but I haven't had any issues. If you have a breed that's prone to heart issues, might take that into consideration.

I'm sure it's technically possible to clean at home, but probably not likely to be done well or often enough to eliminate gum disease later in the life of the dog. If you feed your dog table food regularly I'd 100% get the vet to do cleanings.