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Maintaining good oral health is one of the
best things you can do for your pet.
Dental Health in Pets
Despite an increased awareness by pet owners of the importance of dental care for their pets, dental disease persists as the most common disease seen in veterinary offices every year. Aside from simply keeping your pet’s teeth healthy, good oral care is good for their overall health. Kidney, liver, and heart disease, and even arthritis have been shown to be associated with the bacteria in the mouth. Simply put, pets that get good dental care live longer. Having your pet around for a couple of extra years would be great wouldn't it?
Our pet’s teeth and gums are very similar to our own. Food material, bacteria, and saliva accumulate and adhere to the tooth surface forming plaque (that soft “fuzzy” coating you have on your teeth first thing in the morning). Plaque contains millions of harmful bacteria. Daily brushing will remove the plaque accumulation. If it is not removed, harmful bacteria will build up under the gumline destroying the bone and supportive tissues that surround our teeth.
The Classifications of Periodontal Disease
There are four classifications of periodontal disease. Grades one and two are referred to as gingivitis which means the gums are tender, red, and swollen. Gingivitis is curable if treated early with a professional teeth cleaning and polishing. If gingivitis is left untreated, periodontal disease progresses. In grade three periodontal disease, the tooth's supporting bone will begin to be destroyed. Just as with humans at this stage, periodontal surgery may be needed to save the affected tooth. Once grade four periodontal disease occurs, the tooth suffers more complete destruction of the bone and supporting tissues and can become loose. In most cases, treatment of grade four periodontal disease involves extraction of the affected tooth.
What can you do to prevent periodontal disease?
Have your veterinarian examine your pet’s mouth and make recommendations for treatment. If the oral condition does not require a thorough dental cleaning, home care will be recommended. See below for recommendations on teaching your pet to allow daily tooth brushing. If a dental cleaning is recommended, we will schedule your visit for a day that fits into your schedule.
What does a dental cleaning involve?
For a thorough dental cleaning , we will need to fully anesthetize your pet (this cannot be performed adequately as an anesthesia-free procedure). We understand that you may have some concerns regarding anesthesia in your pet. With current preoperative blood testing, the safest anesthetic gases, intravenous fluids, and patient monitoring for ECG, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate, body temperature, and pulse oximetry, we do everything possible to make anesthesia a safe experience. Once the procedure is complete and your pet is in recovery (on thick blankets to help maintain body temperature), they will continue to be monitored until they are on their feet, at which time they can be released. Please discuss any anesthesia concerns you might have with your veterinarian or a staff member.
Once your pet is anesthetized, all monitors in place, and the patient is stable, the teeth cleaning process will begin. A thorough oral examination will be done and any conditions found will be charted. Plaque and tartar removal is performed first on the crowns of the teeth (the part of the tooth you can see). Then the subgingival area (under the gum) is explored and any tartar accumulation in that area is removed. All rough subgingival surfaces will be smoothed. All the teeth are  checked for attachment loss, then the teeth will be polished and the subgingival areas flushed with an antiseptic solution. Next, we apply fluoride to help strengthen the enamel, followed by an enamel sealant called OraVet. This product will slow the return of plaque and tartar. If any abnormalities were found, we will take dental x-rays to more fully evaluate the teeth including the roots, bone, and other supporting tissue. Finally, the veterinarian will address any conditions discovered.
Pain Control
Oral pain in dogs and cats can be difficult to determine and evaluate. Because animals are so good at hiding pain, pet owners and veterinarians must look carefully for subtle signs. Recent research has confirmed that 70-80% of our pets over the age of three have some degree of periodontal disease. There can be quite a bit of pain associated with periodontal disease and other oral conditions. This fact alone should be enough to make pet owners want to have their pet's oral condition examined by their veterinarian.
Most veterinary clinics will prescribe pain control medications after a severe cleaning, extractions, or other extensive dental work. Be sure to discuss the need for pain control for your pet with the veterinarian or veterinary staff.
Home Care
There are several ways to help maintain your pet’s health through good oral care: dental diets, OraVet, dental chews, oral rinses, or daily tooth brushing. For dogs and cats that will not allow daily brushing or those who have a tendency toward periodontal disease (usually due to genetics or physical breed characteristics), a dental diet can be helpful. There are two types of dental diets. The first is a uniquely designed kibble that scrapes plaque off the teeth as the pet chews. The second type is pet food that contains hexametaphosphate, a plaque-reducing compound.
OraVet, a wax-like sealant used during the professional dental cleaning, also has a home-use product. Odorless, tasteless, and invisible after application, OraVet greatly reduces the accumulation of plaque and tartar. And, you use it only once a week.
There are a wide variety of dental chews which, when chewed daily, can slow the buildup of tartar on your pet’s teeth.
Daily rinses with an antiseptic solution formulated especially for use in pets, also decrease the accumulation of plaque and tartar.
The absolute best way to control plaque is daily brushing. Use only toothpaste that is formulated for use in pets. (See below for suggestions on how to train your pet to allow daily brushing.)
Discuss the possible use of one of these methods with your veterinarian.
How to train your pet to allow tooth brushing at home
You can help to keep your pet healthy and happy by teaching them to allow daily tooth brushing. We recommend beginning the training process as early as possible and don’t believe the old adage about old dogs not being able to learn new tricks. Most dogs and many cats can learn to allow daily tooth brushing.
Training sessions should be done often but keep it short until your pet becomes accustomed to the handling. Begin by simply handling your pet’s mouth. Always reward good behavior. Never punish your pet for a lack of cooperation. The next step is simply lifting the lip. Once that is OK, touch the teeth with your finger. Then as your pet becomes comfortable with that, extend the time you are in their mouth and slide your finger into the space between the teeth and cheek. Don’t try to open the  mouth or get to the inner surfaces of the teeth. Remember, do it often and keep it short. When your pet is OK with this, cover your finger with a small soft cloth such as a piece of gauze or a piece of pantyhose, dampen it, and gently rub the outer surface of the teeth.
Finally, you can introduce a toothbrush. A soft child-size toothbrush works fine for most pets. Veterinary clinics and pet stores sell toothbrushes sized specifically for dogs and cats including finger brushes that fit like a thimble. Use just the damp brush a few times before addng the toothpaste. Do not use human toothpaste. Our dogs and cats will swallow the toothpaste rather than spit it out and human toothpaste is not made to be swallowed. It can upset your pet’s stomach if ingested. Pet toothpastes come in a variety of flavors. Pick one that you think your pet will like.
As in any training program, repeated, short sessions work best. Be patient and gentle, and allow your pet the time they need to learn this new, somewhat odd procedure. Some pets are quick to accept tooth brushing and others just will not allow it. If your pet really does not want the toothbrush in their mouth, back up to the training step with which they were most comfortable and add in the toothpaste. Just rubbing it on the outer surfaces of the teeth will certainly help your pet more than doing nothing. The action of the pet toothpaste will help reduce plaque just through contact with the teeth.
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