I’ve owned about a dozen cats in my lifetime, and only one has had dental problems: when she broke a canine tooth. She looked funny, with half a tooth sticking out of her mouth. Naturally, I called the vet, who diagnosed that the tooth was infected, and needed removing. Okay, let’s do that. General anaesthetic, and a surgical removal of the infected tooth from the root.
But at no time, then or subsequently, was “deep cleaning” involved, nor was any kind of daily dental care for her. She went on for another ten years, happily crunching down on solid food and crunchy treats. And remaining as happy and active as she ever was. She was a wonderful cat, and I was sad when it was time to let her go.
Did they do cleaning without anesthetic? Because with the bloodwork required for anesthetic plus the cleaning it’s hard to imagine it being so cheap. I do think the vets push cleaning too much but if your cat breaks a tooth you’ll be glad to pay the price.