There are plenty of things that you can do, but just because you can doesn’t always mean you should. It’s that distinction that stops me from throwing heavy objects into washing machines. Usually.
Fortunately, you can put non-stick pans in a dishwasher with far less drama and destruction. You won’t turn the Teflon into a neurotoxin or cause an explosion in your kitchen. Nothing nearly so catastrophic will happen if you put a non-stick pan in the dishwasher.
Unfortunately, while it’s safe to do so, there are some minor downsides that may stop you anyways. Most notably, dishwashers are not exactly gentle and often rely on abrasives for part of their cleaning power. While not as bad as putting the pan in an actual sandblaster, it does affect the longevity of the non-stick coating.
The way I see it, if a non-stick pan won’t come clean in the sink in thirty seconds or less then the pan is pretty much shot anyways, so why risk damaging the coating in the dishwasher?