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Couldn't have put it better than that Tree Doc.
The AVMA and other organizations report that dental disease is the number one illness in our pets. It can range from mild plaque to full blown dental infections, tooth loss, pain, and health risks for the lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys.
An effort is being made by the profession in general to be more proactive in addressing this concern to try to prevent more serious illnesses.
Dental prophylactic cleanings are best done while under general anesthesia. There are some groups and veterinarians that provide "anesthestic free" dental cleanings. I consider these less than optimal and some argue that it may actually put the pet at risk by injuring them during the procedure or delaying proper diagnosis and treatment of dental disease. In some states, these "anesthetic free" dental cleanings are illegal for anyone to perform without the direct supervision of a veterinanarian.
There are many things that you can do at home to keep your pets teeth healthy. Ideally, pets would get their teeth brushed daily using pet toothpaste, have oral/dental evaluations by their doctor every six months, and have dental prophylactic cleanings peformed when indicated. Practically, however, this can be difficult to keep up.
My personal opinion is that if we wait to perform dental cleanings only when their is major infection or tooth loss, we've waited too long. How early is too early? That is difficult to say because I think it depends on each individual case. However, the benefit of a dental prophylactic cleaning needs to be carefully weighed against the potential risk of general anesthesia.
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