Your pet’s dental health is important too!

Don't turn your nose to Fido's or Fluffy's bad breath! That odor might signify a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only your pet's teeth and gums but its internal organs as well. Adult dogs have a total of 42 teeth and adult cats have a total of 30 teeth. A healthy mouth will consist of white teeth, pink gums and no bad breath. A healthy tooth will be white with a flat pink gum line. So why are many of our pets’ mouths are riddled with bacteria, plaque and tartar causing bad breath, disease and pain?

Plaque is a soft sticky film that builds on the teeth containing millions of bacteria. Plaque forms with ingredients found in your pet’s diet and saliva. Bacteria causing this plaque is constantly forming in the mouth. Plaque turns to tartar in 24 hours. 

Tartar is plaque that has hardened on the teeth. Tartar can also form at and beneath the gum line which is known as gingivitis, which causes irritation, redness and inflammation. Tartar gives plaque more area to grow by separating the gums from teeth, which can lead to more serious conditions such as periodontal disease. 

Periodontal disease is an infection of the structures around the teeth, which include the gums, ligaments and jaw bone. The whole mouth is very painful and puts your pet at greater risk for developing other serious conditions such as heart disease. 

Periodontal Disease is more common than you might think.

By age 3, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease. By age 4, 85% of dogs and cats show signs or oral disease, so keep those teeth clean! There are several signs of periodontal disease in pets. Bad breath, difficulty chewing, oral discomfort, and blood-tinged drool are all signs of periodontal disease.

Prevention is key to your pet’s dental health.

Some methods of prevention include: regular dental exams, periodic cleaning, chews, rinses, and water additives. However, just brushing your pet’s teeth regularly is by far the best way to prevent any sort of damage or disease.

Up to 2/3 of a tooth is under the gum line.

Most dental disease falls under the gum line, as well, which makes it tough to check for. Your veterinarian may not be able to estimate the severity of dental disease without anesthesia to allow a complete oral exam to be performed.

“Doggie breath” is not normal.

Don’t mistake this with “just ate dinner” breath, or “found something strange outside and put it in their mouth” breath. If your pet has bad breath all the time, that’s one of the first noticeable symptoms of dental disease.

Some toys are too hard for your pet to play with or chew on.

If you can’t dent a toy with your fingernail, it’s probably too hard for your pet to chew. Chewing on a hard toy can lead to damaging their teeth.

Loose teeth need further investigation.

In adult dogs, loose teeth are usually a result from trauma to the mouth or from gum loss due to advanced periodontal disease.

There are several signs that will help you spot a tooth root abscess.

If your dog is dropping food, tipping its head to one side, or avoiding eating entirely, a tooth root abscess could be the problem.

Chronic infections can spread to your pet’s major organs.

This can seriously compromise your pet’s health. Examples of organs commonly affected are the kidneys, liver, and heart.

All dentistries include pre-anesthetic exam, blood work, pre-anesthetic ECG, IV catheter with warmed intravenous fluids during the dentistry, monitoring of blood pressure, temperature, oxygen levels, CO2 levels, respiratory rate, heart rate, and ECG during the procedure, specialized warming system, full mouth pre-cleaning dental x-rays, complete cleaning, complete oral and periodontal exam during the dentistry, post-dental polishing, and special enzymatic toothpaste and pet toothbrush to go home.  At 30A Vet, we take anesthesia safety and complete dental and oral care very seriously.  Don’t be fooled by other offers that do not include every item mentioned above.  Those items are there for your pet’s protection.  Anything less would put your pet’s safety in jeopardy.

There are four stages of periodontal disease.   

Stage 1- there is a mild buildup of plaque, slightly swollen and red gums. This is the first sign of pain. 

Stage 2- there is a moderate amount of plaque that builds up and starts turning into tartar. Gums become more swollen and red and underneath the gum line gingivitis and possible bone loss are now occurring. 

Stage 3- tartar is now heavily accumulated on the teeth, gum line has receded causing pockets between the tooth and the gum line. Pain in the mouth is also greatly increased. 25-50% of bone loss beneath the gum line has occurred and tooth extractions are very likely. 

Stage 4- Periodontal disease is established and chronic. There is severe tartar buildup, inflammation, gum recession, bleeding, deep pockets and possible tooth mobility. More than 50% of bone loss has occurred beneath the gum line. Mouth is extremely painful and extractions are necessary. 

Use this link to grade your own pet’s periodontal disease and learn more: 

http://avdc.org/AFD/five-stages-of-pet-periodontal-disease/

Periodontal disease progresses due to age, health status, diet, chewing behavior, breed, genetics, tooth alignment, home care and mouth environment. Small breed dogs are at a higher risk due to having the same amount of teeth as large breed dogs but in a much smaller package. 

So now that you know the facts, what can you do to prevent this harmful, painful disease?

Regular home care such as daily brushing, routine dental cleanings and diet can all help prevent or slow plaque, tartar, gingivitis and, in turn, periodontal disease. Here is a helpful video to show you how to brush your dog’s teeth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsNlLLSBWLU

Be sure to use a soft bristled toothbrush or a toothbrush designed for pets and always use a toothpaste designed for pets. Human toothpaste is not meant to be swallowed and can be toxic to your pet!

Feel free to call or drop by the clinic if you would like advice or a demonstration!

What else can you do?

Daily brushing is the best way to prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar and consequently gingivitis and periodontal disease. There are, however, other things you can do to assist with this. Using Greenies dental treats daily is a great way to help your pet clean off plaque. Contrary to some popular beliefs rawhides and hard bones do not do anything to help with dental care. There are also specific dental diets that can be mixed in with your pet’s regular food to help remove plaque on a daily basis. Ask your veterinarian which diet they recommend or have in stock. 

While all of these preventive measures are helpful, regular anesthetic veterinary dental cleanings are important to your pet. We, humans, go to the dentist every six months to have our teeth professionally cleaned and we’re brushing our teeth twice a day (or should be)! Our pets’ teeth need the same attention; unfortunately they don’t usually like to sit still for it. 

Anesthetic dentals are far safer than they ever have been in the past due to the great advances in veterinary medicine. Before any anesthetic procedure, your pet will have a blood profile run checking the complete blood count and overall organ functions, such as the kidney, liver, and gall bladder. A pre-anesthetic exam by the doctor will also be done checking the heart and lungs. An ECG screening may also by required if previous or new heart conditions are present. IV catheters are placed as an easily accessible port for anesthetics, fluids during the procedure, and possible emergency medications if needed. Anesthetic monitoring has advanced greatly as well. A monitor is used throughout the procedure to measure heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation level, blood pressure, and temperature. Warming blankets and/or heating pads are now used to prevent hypothermia during procedures. 

Anesthetic related deaths have decreased significantly over the years due to these advancements and new protocols in veterinary medicine. According to a board certified anesthesiologist today, the anesthetic death rate is 1 in 1000 animals. 

An anesthetic dentistry is the only treatment for stages 3 and 4 of periodontal disease. Heavy plaque and tartar need to be removed with an ultra-sonic scaler, deep cleaning beneath the gum line, extractions and x-rays to check the status of the teeth, bone, and jaw structure.

Recovery depends on the stage of periodontal disease. Stages 1 and 2 will require little to no recovery time, usually just a course of antibiotics and possibly pain medication for a few days. Stages 3 and 4 will require more recovery time and a more involved process. Antibiotics and pain medications will be required, softening of the food for a certain amount of time, sometimes permanently, may also be required. 

Your pet’s dental procedure daily brushing is the only tried-and-true method to help prevent further damage to your pet’s mouth, but as discussed earlier there are several other options and additives to assist with continuing care and maintenance. A happy healthy mouth means a healthy happy pet.

Periodontal disease is the most common disease in cats and dogs and it is entirely preventable. Thank you for taking the time to read this post and we hope you now understand the seriousness of this problem and begin, or continue, to take steps to help your pet maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy life.