by Holly Frisby, DVM

Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.
Veterinary Services Department

Our pets are living longer now than in the past. Today we have better preventive medicine (e.g., vaccinations and heartworm preventatives) and better ways to diagnose and treat many diseases. Now we are seeing more animals whose most severe medical problems are dental problems. To prevent oral disease, which is the number one health problem diagnosed in pets, it is essential to provide our pets with good dental care, both professionally and at home.

Dental disease in pets

Plaque: Pets rarely get cavities, but are much more prone to gum disease and excess tartar buildup on the teeth. Food particles and bacteria collect along the gumline forming plaque. Routine home care can remove this plaque.

Tartar: If plaque is not removed, minerals in the saliva combine with the plaque and form tartar (or calculus) which adheres strongly to the teeth. Plaque starts to mineralize 3-5 days after it forms. The tartar is irritating to the gums and causes an inflammation called gingivitis. This can be seen as reddening of the gums adjacent to the teeth. It also causes bad breath. At this point it is necessary to remove the plaque with special instruments called scalers.

Periodontal Disease: If the tartar is not removed, it builds up under the gums. It separates the gums from the teeth to form "pockets" and encourages even more bacterial growth. At this point the damage is irreversible, and called "periodontal" disease. It can be very painful and can lead to loose teeth, abscesses, and bone loss or infection. As bacterial growth continues to increase the bacteria may enter the blood stream. This can cause infection of the heart valves (endocarditis), liver and kidneys. If treated by your veterinarian with special instruments and procedures, periodontal disease can be slowed or stopped.

What is included in a good dental care program

A good dental care program includes:

• Regular visits to your veterinarian, which include an oral exam

• Veterinary dental cleaning as advised

• Daily home oral care

Oral Exams by Your Veterinarian: A thorough dental exam can identify potential problems such as plaque and tartar buildup, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and fractured or abscessed teeth. During an oral exam your veterinarian will:

• Examine the face and head for asymmetry, swelling or discharges.

• Examine the oral cavity, oral mucosa, and surfaces of teeth and gums.

• Open the mouth to examine the inner surfaces of the teeth and gums and the tongue, palates, oral mucosa, tonsils and ventral tongue area.

Dental Cleaning by Your Veterinarian: To prevent dental disease, your pet needs routine dental care at home. But to perform good home care, you need to start with clean teeth. Brushing will remove plaque but not tartar. So if your pet's teeth have tartar, it is necessary for your veterinarian to remove it and polish the teeth. This professional veterinary dental cleaning is also called a prophylaxis or "prophy". A routine dental cleaning consists of:

• Anesthetizing your pet and flushing the mouth with a solution to kill the bacteria

• Cleaning the teeth with handheld and ultrasonic scalers. All calculus is removed from above and below the gumline.

• Using a disclosing solution to show any areas of remaining calculus which are then removed.

• Polishing the teeth to remove microscopic scratches

• Inspecting each tooth and the gum around it for any signs of disease.

• Flushing the mouth, again, with an antibacterial solution.

• Recording any abnormalities or additional procedures on a dental chart

• Determining the best follow-up and home dental care program for your pet.

Daily Home Oral Care: Home oral care includes routine examinations of your pet's mouth and brushing her teeth.

Home oral exam: As you care for your pet's mouth, look for warning signs of gum disease such as bad breath, red and swollen gums, a yellow-brown crust of tartar around the gumline, and pain or bleeding when you touch the gums or mouth. You should also watch for discolored, fractured or missing teeth. Any bumps or masses within the mouth should also be checked by your veterinarian. How long would you go without brushing your teeth?

Daily brushing: Regular brushing of your pet's teeth is a very important preventative for oral and other diseases. A step-by-step procedure for providing this care is found in our article Brushing Your Pet's Teeth.

Mechanical removal of plaque: Studies show that hard kibbles are slightly better at keeping plaque from accumulating on the teeth. There is a veterinary dentist-approved food on the market called t/d made by Hill's, the Science Diet people. Research studies have shown that pets eating this food have less plaque and tartar build-up. This food is available through your veterinarian

Mechanical removal of plaque can also be accomplished by using toys such as Plaque Attacker dental toys, rope toys or rawhide chips. Do not use toys that are abrasive and can wear down the teeth. If your dog is an aggressive chewer and likes to bite down and trying to crack the toy, you probably shouldn't let the dog chew on that toy. For especially aggressive chewers, look for toys they can't get their mouths around. Rawhide or other chews that soften as the dog chews are another option.

What's ahead in the future?

Veterinary dentistry is becoming more common and more sophisticated. Pets can have the same procedures as people: root canals, crowns and even braces. The Veterinary Oral Health Council has recently formed. This organization of veterinary dentists will help lead all of us in this rather new field. They have developed a seal of approval for pet dental products, just as the American Dental Association has its seal of approval. At this point the t/d food is the only product that has received the Veterinary Oral Health's Council seal of approval. More studies are being done on other products. When they are proven to be effective through scientific studies, they will be eligible for approval.

© 2000 Drs. Foster and Smith, Inc.
Reprinted as a courtesy and with permission from PetEducation.com (http://www.PetEducation.com)
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