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T E E T H   C A R E

You are a responsible pet owner. You take good care of your pet. But do you always remember to take care of your pet's teeth?

Did you know that the bacteria on dirty teeth intermittently access the bloodstream resulting in organ damage and a lowered immune system. Mortality studies in people have shown that people with sever periodontal disease have twice the chance as dying in the next 5—10 years and doubtless this will occur in pets as well. However we brush our teeth twice daily and our pets do not so they are far more open to complications of poor mouth hygiene than us. Abrasive diets formulated for teeth slow down this process approximately but that’s not enough by itself and so pets will require dental scaling at some times of their life. The frequency required depends on your ability to perform brushing at home (very difficult with most cats and some dogs)   and the luck of the draw with regard to genetics. Like people some pets just have better teeth than others. Dental disease can be avoided.

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Signs of Dental Problems

• Bad breath – one of the first signs of dental disease

• A yellowish-brown crust of plaque on the teeth near the gum line

• Red and swollen gums

• Pain or bleeding when your pet eats or when the mouth or gums are touched

• Decreased appetite or difficulty eating

• Loose or missing teeth

• Broken or chipped teeth

Does your pet have bad breath or reddened gums?

If so, it could be from gingivitis. Gingivitis occurs when soft plaque hardens into rough, irritating tartar. Tartar build-up on your pet's teeth can cause damage to the teeth and gums.

If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to an infection called periodontal disease. This disease can cause the loss of teeth.

You can prevent serious dental problems from happening by making sure your pet receives dental exams regularly.

Dental Cleanings

Veterinary dentistry is quite different from the equivalent process in people. For most of us, caring for our teeth and gums has been part of our daily routine for as long as we can remember. Consequently, a person's visit to the dental hygienist is relatively brief and does not require sedation. In contrast, veterinary dentistry is considerably more involved, time-consuming, and complex. It requires general anesthesia, and consequently a day's hospitalization and the skills of veterinarians and veterinary nurse.

Pre dental Workup

Unless other recent blood results are available for otherwise healthy young animals, we suggest a blood test on the day of the dentistry. For older animals we may recommend more extensive testing.

Your pet's dental cleaning will begin with a physical examination. This is important to evaluate your pet's general health. After the physical exam, your pet is given an anaesthesic for a safe and painless sleep during the dental cleaning.  Older pets may be given fluids with their anaesthetic.

The first part of the process is recording of the condition of your pets’ mouth. We do this by probing and recording the findings so we know what is actually required.

Then we remove most of the large tartar deposits with a hand scaler or tartar cracking forceps

 An ultrasonic scaler is used to clean above and just below the gum line. Our scaler goes up to 40,000 cycles per second which means that a very smooth surface is produced. The cleaning of the tartar or calculus on and just below the gumline is for most patients the most important part. This is where the bacteria can access the bloodstream and cause organ damage over time.

Then your pet's teeth are polished, creating a smooth surface. The gums are washed with an anti- bacterial solution to help delay tartar build-up both under the gumline and on the crown of the tooth.

If we find teeth where the root or blood vessel of the tooth is exposed then we know that tooth will be infected by the bacteria from the mouth and will normally become infected. This may require extraction of the tooth to eliminate pain and infection or in some case root canal therapy  (LINK TO ROOT CANAL THERAPY ARTICLE _FROM CLINIC BROCHURE ) may be possible (often at a later date because of the time it takes).

Teeth care -Home prevention

Dental care does not end with a visit to your veterinarian. You need to continue your veterinarian's good work at home. If you can then brushing your pet's teeth is an important part of home dental care. Special diets or dental treats may also be recommended.

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Dental Care Q & A

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE MY PET'S TEETH CHECKED?

During the first year, your pet should have it' s teeth checked at puppy and kitten examinations, and at the time of spaying or neutering. ( which is performed at five to six months).

Your pet should have an annual checkup for dental health when it receives its yearly booster vaccines.

DO PETS GET CAVITIES LIKE HUMANS?

Cavities are not as common in pets, but do occur occasionally. Frequently in cats neck lesions may form where very extensive  cavities from gum inflammation occur at the gumline and below it. These are very painful for affected cats but a response to their pain may be hard to pickup.

WHY DOES MY DOG OR CAT HAVE BAD BREATH?

The most common cause of bad breath is excessive tartar deposits on the teeth. Bacteria feed and live in the tartar and produce offensive odors. Tartar is a crusty collection of food particles, minerals, and bacteria that forms at the tooth/gum borders. However, metabolic diseases such as kidney disease, diabetes, etc. can also produce halitosis.

DOES TARTAR ON THE TEETH HURT MY PET?

Yes. As tartar accumulates at the gum line, it causes gum recession and inflammation or gingivitis. This allows bacteria in the tartar to infect and loosen the base of the tooth, causing periodontal disease. In pets, periodontal disease may lead to an infection of the heart (endocarditis ) damage to liver, bone marrow and possibly kidneys, as also may occur in people. Because of bone marrow damage pets may become anaemic or have loss white blood cell counts and ability to fight infection. Inflammation of the gums and infection of the teeth can cause your pet considerable pain, and his/her appetite and general attitude may deteriorate.(Generally seen as a pet just sleeping more than was usual)

HOW CAN I PREVENT TARTAR BUILDUP?

Feed your pet a well-balanced, commercial diet. Brushing the teeth is an excellent way to check tartar build-up, though once hard yellow calculus has developed, your pet will require dentistry. Brushing with C.E.T, a flavoured toothpaste designed for pets, 2-3 times weekly, discourages tartar build-up.

For dogs, Chew toys and dental treats are also helpful as abrasive prevention treatment and aid in stimulation of the gums. If your pet does not let you brush the teeth, you may use one of the pre-made mouthwashes or gels. Alternatively, if you cannot provide maintenance, you may need to have us perform full dental scaling and polishing on a more frequent basis.

WHEN IS DENTISTRY REQUIRED?

Dentistry is required when hardened yellow tartar deposits have occurred and/or when periodontal disease (redness of the gum line –usually seen first on the back teeth) is present. Flip the lip to see what is going on!! It is also required when substantial mouth odor exists, which indicates infection or decay even if it is not readily apparent.

HOW LONG WILL THE TEETH REMAIN CLEAN?

This depends on diet, dental alignment, amount of gum recession that has already occurred, and future care of the teeth. Smaller breeds tend to develop tartar much more quickly; in most cases this is a genetic predisposition and not something the owner can readily modify. However, the degree to which the owner provides ongoing dental prophylaxis heavily influences the outcome!

Anything else I can do for prevention that is easier?

There is now available a vaccine which stimulates the body to produce antibodies against the bacteria which cause tooth loss and severe gum disease. It will not stop the bacteria which cause yellow tartar but will act against the more nasty types that cause tooth loss from gum and bone erosion. We recommend it in all small breed dogs (they are more severely afflicted generally) and in some individual larger dogs.

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