Dental Care For Pets
What to Look For
The most common signs of oral disease are:
· Yellow and brown tartar buildup
· Bleeding
· Bad breath
· Red inflamed gums
· Difficulty chewing
· Change in eating habits
· Pawing at the mouth
Veterinary Care
Fortunately, veterinary dental knowledge has grown exponentially in the last few years. Dental
technology has also exploded, allowing your pet virtually all of the dental care that you receive,
including: dental implants, braces (to enable a comfortable bite), ultrasonic scaling controlled
with microchips, root canals and bonding and brightening.
Veterinary care should include periodic dental exams, which are important in order to maintain
good oral health. The frequency with which dental examinations should be performed depends
on your pet's age.
· Puppies. The mouth should be examined by your veterinarian immediately upon acquiring
your new pet and at every vaccination appointment up to four months of age. A dental exam
should be performed again at six months of age. It is important to assess your pet's bite as well as
his/her overall oral health. Bite abnormalities can sometimes be corrected by orthodontics
before six months of age.
· One to three years. At this age, unless you notice problems or your veterinarian has
developed a custom exam program due to special circumstances, dental exams should be done
annually.
· Four to six years. If your pet has perfect teeth and you brush them daily, annual exams may
suffice, but many dogs in this age range require exams every six months. It is better to have
more frequent examinations done and get a clean report card as opposed to finding potentially
painful problems later. Toothaches are painful for animals, just like humans, but your pet won't
be able to tell you that it hurts.
· Seven years and up. Dental examinations should be performed every six months when your
pet is seven years of age or older.
The most common signs of oral disease are:
· Yellow and brown tartar buildup
· Bleeding
· Bad breath
· Red inflamed gums
· Difficulty chewing
· Change in eating habits
· Pawing at the mouth
Veterinary Care
Fortunately, veterinary dental knowledge has grown exponentially in the last few years. Dental
technology has also exploded, allowing your pet virtually all of the dental care that you receive,
including: dental implants, braces (to enable a comfortable bite), ultrasonic scaling controlled
with microchips, root canals and bonding and brightening.
Veterinary care should include periodic dental exams, which are important in order to maintain
good oral health. The frequency with which dental examinations should be performed depends
on your pet's age.
· Puppies. The mouth should be examined by your veterinarian immediately upon acquiring
your new pet and at every vaccination appointment up to four months of age. A dental exam
should be performed again at six months of age. It is important to assess your pet's bite as well as
his/her overall oral health. Bite abnormalities can sometimes be corrected by orthodontics
before six months of age.
· One to three years. At this age, unless you notice problems or your veterinarian has
developed a custom exam program due to special circumstances, dental exams should be done
annually.
· Four to six years. If your pet has perfect teeth and you brush them daily, annual exams may
suffice, but many dogs in this age range require exams every six months. It is better to have
more frequent examinations done and get a clean report card as opposed to finding potentially
painful problems later. Toothaches are painful for animals, just like humans, but your pet won't
be able to tell you that it hurts.
· Seven years and up. Dental examinations should be performed every six months when your
pet is seven years of age or older.
| Neponset Animal Hospital |
961 Morrissey Blvd.
Dorchester, MA
02122
Phone:
617-288-2333
Fax: 617-288-9282
Dorchester, MA
02122
Phone:
617-288-2333
Fax: 617-288-9282
Periodontal disease
associated with the upper
canine teeth in cats
associated with the upper
canine teeth in cats
Significant tartar
associated with
overcrowded teeth in
a dog.
associated with
overcrowded teeth in
a dog.
Feline oral resorptive
lesions can be
excruciatingly painful,
especially when they are
advanced.
lesions can be
excruciatingly painful,
especially when they are
advanced.
The Dental Exam
· Your veterinarian can examine your dog’s teeth in the exam room if your pet is
cooperative and does not have severe dental problems.
· Full mouth X-rays are usually required because 70 percent of the tooth structure is
beneath the gum line and thus is invisible to the naked eye.
· Your veterinarian may use a periodontal probe (a blunt probe that is used to check
the gum/tooth interface) to search for gum pockets and other problems. He may use it
sparingly in cooperative patients; however, a thorough exam may require sedation or
anesthesia. He will examine all soft tissues.
· If anesthesia is required, new injectable anesthetics are available which are short-
acting (a few minutes), and relatively safe. Additionally, new anesthetic monitors are
available to help ensure that the anesthesia is as safe as possible.
Home Care
Your dog needs preventive dental care just like you. AVDS recommends using a three-
part dental care regimen to include:
· Routine physical exams by your veterinarian
· Regular dental care at home: Tooth brushing is the single most important part of oral
care and cannot be over-emphasized. If your pet will allow it, you should brush her teeth
daily. It is best to start early since most dogs will allow brushing if you start when they
are puppies. Use a special toothpaste formulated for your pet; human toothpaste may
upset your dog’s stomach.
· Regular follow-up care: You can ask about specially formulated foods, such as pet
foods that have been developed to enhance oral care by their abrasive action. Scientific
studies have proven that these special diets are beneficial in maintaining oral health.
There are also numerous chew products available that may be helpful. Use common
sense and caution when choosing these products; (ask your veterinarian for help). It is
usually best to stay with softer products.
Recommended Products
· Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d®
· Over the counter products such as Chew-Eez®
· Various tooth brushes with a soft rating
· Prescription products and Virbac Dentivet toothpastes
· Your veterinarian can examine your dog’s teeth in the exam room if your pet is
cooperative and does not have severe dental problems.
· Full mouth X-rays are usually required because 70 percent of the tooth structure is
beneath the gum line and thus is invisible to the naked eye.
· Your veterinarian may use a periodontal probe (a blunt probe that is used to check
the gum/tooth interface) to search for gum pockets and other problems. He may use it
sparingly in cooperative patients; however, a thorough exam may require sedation or
anesthesia. He will examine all soft tissues.
· If anesthesia is required, new injectable anesthetics are available which are short-
acting (a few minutes), and relatively safe. Additionally, new anesthetic monitors are
available to help ensure that the anesthesia is as safe as possible.
Home Care
Your dog needs preventive dental care just like you. AVDS recommends using a three-
part dental care regimen to include:
· Routine physical exams by your veterinarian
· Regular dental care at home: Tooth brushing is the single most important part of oral
care and cannot be over-emphasized. If your pet will allow it, you should brush her teeth
daily. It is best to start early since most dogs will allow brushing if you start when they
are puppies. Use a special toothpaste formulated for your pet; human toothpaste may
upset your dog’s stomach.
· Regular follow-up care: You can ask about specially formulated foods, such as pet
foods that have been developed to enhance oral care by their abrasive action. Scientific
studies have proven that these special diets are beneficial in maintaining oral health.
There are also numerous chew products available that may be helpful. Use common
sense and caution when choosing these products; (ask your veterinarian for help). It is
usually best to stay with softer products.
Recommended Products
· Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d®
· Over the counter products such as Chew-Eez®
· Various tooth brushes with a soft rating
· Prescription products and Virbac Dentivet toothpastes
According to the American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS), 80 percent of dogs
show oral disease by age 3, and it is the most common health problem treated in
small animal health clinics today. The buildup of bacteria in your dog’s mouth may
cause more than just bad breath; according to research presented at a recent
conference on Companion Animal Oral Health, bacteria are also the cause of oral
disease and diseases in other organs of the body like the heart, liver and kidneys.
show oral disease by age 3, and it is the most common health problem treated in
small animal health clinics today. The buildup of bacteria in your dog’s mouth may
cause more than just bad breath; according to research presented at a recent
conference on Companion Animal Oral Health, bacteria are also the cause of oral
disease and diseases in other organs of the body like the heart, liver and kidneys.
Just like humans, pets teeth are prone to plaque buildup, and when allowed to combine with
saliva and residual food between the tooth and gum, plaque turns to tartar. If plaque and tartar
are not removed routinely by your veterinarian, they may cause periodontal disease.
· Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums most commonly caused by the accumulation of
food particles in the crevices between the gums and the teeth. The main symptom is bleeding,
although you may also notice redness, pain and difficulty chewing. If gingivitis is not treated, it
may lead to periodontitis.
· Periodontitis is a serious infection that spreads to the tissues and bone in which the teeth are
rooted causing loss of the teeth. Unfortunately, this disease is irreversible and may lead to
other problems.
· Broken teeth are a common problem, most commonly caused by aggressive chewing on
hard objects.
saliva and residual food between the tooth and gum, plaque turns to tartar. If plaque and tartar
are not removed routinely by your veterinarian, they may cause periodontal disease.
· Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums most commonly caused by the accumulation of
food particles in the crevices between the gums and the teeth. The main symptom is bleeding,
although you may also notice redness, pain and difficulty chewing. If gingivitis is not treated, it
may lead to periodontitis.
· Periodontitis is a serious infection that spreads to the tissues and bone in which the teeth are
rooted causing loss of the teeth. Unfortunately, this disease is irreversible and may lead to
other problems.
· Broken teeth are a common problem, most commonly caused by aggressive chewing on
hard objects.
Polishing the teeth after scaling
Ulstrasonic scaling to remove
tartar build up
tartar build up
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