Just As In Humans, Pets Need Oral Hygiene Too

Dental hygiene for pets is often overlooked.

Dental hygiene is just as important to your pet’s overall health as nutrition, proper exercise and routine grooming.

Monitoring Your Pets Dental Health

The simplest way to keep track is to look at them on regular basis by lifting the lips all around the mouth.
Evaluated by veterinarian every 6-12 months at pet wellness check-ups.
Red gums, tartar or plaque buildup, bad breath, gum recession, crying out when chewing .eeds immediate attention of a veterinarian.

The Dangers of Dental Disease

Plaque builds up on the teeth and turns into tartar or calculus. These areas grow bacteria and eat away at the teeth and gums. Bad breath, oral pain and tooth loss can occur due to bacteria. However, the bacteria not only cause disease in the mouth they can also affect other parts of the body, like the heart, liver, and kidneys. The most important thing to do is address dental disease as soon as it is detected, no matter how minor. Best way to keep healthy mouth and teeth is prevention and treatment.

Preventing Dental Disease in Dogs

There are several ways you can help your pet teeth in good shape.
Start a dog dental care routine as early as possible in your pet’s life.
Brushing – Ask for Denville Animal Hospital Veterinarians for some tips and demonstration.
a. Try to brush as many times as possible in a week practically 2-3 times.
b. Don’t use human toothpaste.
c. Avoid real bones – not only can they lead to gastrointestinal upset, but they may also cause tooth fractures.
Switch to dry food or/and specialized diets like t / d hills.
Veterinarian evaluation on a regular basis, dental scaling and polishing or extractions as needed.

Veterinary Dental Procedures

Most dental procedures will require general anesthesia and pre-anesthetic blood work. Blood work will generally consist of a Complete Blood Count and a serum chemistry profile. Complete Blood Count would check for anemia, allergies, infection, and dehydration. The chemistry profile checks organ function, mainly kidneys and liver and it also checks blood sugar. This gives an opportunity to find any hidden disease and as well increases anesthetic safety by choosing the right protocol for an individual pet. Under anesthesia, all vital signs are monitored and an extensive oral exam will be conducted. This will allow the doctor to examine any loose, broken, or missing teeth along with any oral tumors or lesions. The gums around the teeth are probed and any pockets are noted.

The next step is to scale and polish much like what happens at a human dentist. In certain cases, broken teeth or loose teeth will need to be extracted or a root canal will be recommended. Infected teeth or gums need antibiotics and pain medications during and after dentistry.

FAQs

My pet has bad breath. Are bad teeth and gums the cause?

Most likely, YES. However, it is very important to schedule a visit to the animal doctor In rare cases, some diseases or situations can cause bad breath in the absence of, or in addition to, tooth or gum disease. Conditions such as kidney failure, diabetes, nasal or facial skin infections, cancers, or situations where the animal is ingesting feces or other materials, can cause bad breath with or without periodontal disease.
What actually causes the bad breath when tooth or gum disease is present?
What is the difference between plaque and tartar?
What can happen if my pet's teeth aren't cleaned?

Both plaque and tartar damage the teeth and gums. Disease starts with the gums (gingiva). They become inflamed – red, swollen and sore. The gums finally separate from the teeth, creating pockets where more bacteria, plaque, and tartar build up. This, in turn, causes more damage, and finally tooth and bone loss. This affects the whole body, too. Bacteria from these inflamed oral areas can enter the bloodstream and affect major body organs. The liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs are most commonly affected. Antibiotics are used prior to and after a dental cleaning to prevent bacterial spread through the blood stream.
But my pet is only 3 years old! Isn't this an 'old dog/cat disease?'
How often do my pet's teeth need to be cleaned at a veterinarians facility?

Contact Denville Animal Hospital today!

Pet Dentistry