Dental Care

As a caring pet owners, most of us will not wait a day to go to the vet if our dog or cat had a broken nail or a cut, a bleeding wart, or an ear infection. But as humans, we sometimes ignore what we don't see or what our pets can't express. We may forget that dogs and cats were once wild, where hiding the pain and weakness was essential to ward off external threat or rejected by the pack. Those of us who have had a tooth ache, swollen gums, loose teeth, of other issues know how much this can hurt. Many pets have similar problems - far more often than us humans who do brush daily and visit the dentist routinely - that we may not be aware of.

According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, more than 80% of dogs, and 70% of cats, develop gum disease by age three. But gum disease can be controlled or even eliminated with proper dental care.

What's going on

There is a constant buildup of plaque on the teeth. As little as an hour after brushing the teeth, there is already a thin coating of plaque, which is a sticky substance. Bacteria, which normally live in the mouth, stick to this, as well calcium which is present in saliva. This combination hardens into tartar, which is the large tan - brown chunks we can see surrounding the teeth. This creates an environment where bacteria can grow, releasing toxins into the gum. The bacteria under the gum line can enter the bloodstream, infecting the heart, kidneys, liver, and other organs.

The Signs of Gum Disease

If your pet will allow it, open its mouth and look inside. A pet with a healthy mouth and breath exhibits clean, smooth, white teeth tightly surrounded by firm, pink or pigmented gum tissue. Look for these warning signs of gum disease:

Bad breath
Red and swollen gums
A yellow-brown crust of tartar around the gum line
Apparent pain and/or bleeding when your pet eats or when its mouth or gums are touched

As with human oral care, prevention is recommended to help avoid serious dental problems. Instead of waiting for problems to develop, it's best to start a preventive dental care program supervised by your veterinarian.

Step 1: Visit a veterinarian

Our veterinarians will perform a thorough physical examination of your pet, including examining your pet's teeth and gums for signs of disease. Our doctor will check for inflammation of the gums, pitting of the gums which indicate long term problems, loose or abnormal teeth, and so on. Based on the condition of your pet's mouth we may recommend that your pet's teeth be thoroughly cleaned and polished. While under anesthesia, we probe under the gum line, checking for problems such as cavities, root decay, bone pocket loss, and so on, that can't be seen looking at the outside of the teeth. Any teeth that appear suspicious, will be xrayed to be evaluated for tooth root abscesses, root absorption, or other issues. Sometimes we will decide that the teeth are better pulled; other times we can apply doxyrobe gel, an antibiOtic gel, to the tooth root, perform a root canal, or other treatment based on conditions we find.


Teeth with large tartar buildup	Xrays showing bone loss, not visible to the naked eye.

Step 2: Start a dental care routine at home

Because dogs and cats can't brush their own teeth, you need to remove plaque regularly. Brushing their teeth with a special toothbrush and toothpaste developed just for pets is the ideal treatment, assuming you have the patience, time, and your pet's cooperation. Our veterinarians can review the proper brushing procedure with you. Training your pet to accept this new routine may take several days or even weeks.

While not as effective, there are also treats and diets. These may shaped such that chewing generates additional scrubbing action (as a rough analogy, picture the difference between chewing a carrot versus chewing crackers - the latter, though crunchy, don't have much tooth contact!), have enzymes to break down plaque, have ingredients such as green tea which has been shown to have antibacterial properties, have calcium binders to slow the buildup or tartar, or other qualities. Most dental diets can be used as a regular maintenance diets as well. It should be noted that these diets do little against existing tartar and plaque buildup, but are very helpful in preventing additional buildup.

Step 3: Schedule regular veterinary dental checkups

The best way to fight gum disease is not to treat it, but to prevent it. It is best to make dental checkups part of your pet's regular health examinations so that your veterinarian can monitor the progress of your pet's dental preventive care program. With proper care, your pet can enjoy a lifetime of healthy, clean teeth surrounded by firm, pink gum tissue.

Thorough dental cleanings

Periodically, your pet needs a thorough cleaning. Just like with humans, we remove tartar and plaque build up, clean under the gums, probe along the tooth roots, and take dental xrays. And just like us, dogs and cats usually don't enjoy this! Therefore, we fully anesthetize your pet in order to do a proper cleaning and evaluation. Unlike you, your cat is likely to bite if we probe her teeth, or your dog may swallow the xray film!

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