Start Brushing Those Teeth!
Good dental care is just as important for your pet as it is for you.
Imagine what would happen to your teeth if you never brushed them and never went to the dentist! Bad breath and dirty teeth are not normal for your pet anymore than they are normal for you, and can be avoided with good care. This care includes regular checkups by your veterinarian so serious problems can be avoided, brushing your pet’s teeth regularly at home, and professional scaling by your veterinarian when recommended, similar to what your own dentist does for you. After a professional cleaning, it’s up to you, along with regular dental exams, to prevent further tartar build-up, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and even tooth loss with home care.
Take a Look!
Look at your pet’s teeth regularly. Normal teeth should be white and normal healthy gums will be an even “shrimp” color. Signs of disease include a red, inflamed line and swelling where the tooth joins the gums, strong odor, a brown or yellow coating of tartar, bleeding gums or other discharge, reluctance to eat, or general listlessness.
Periodontal disease
Periodontal disease is a continuing process that begins with gingivitis. The gums becomes inflamed and swollen where the tooth meets the gum. It is caused by a buildup of soft plaque (bacterial deposit) on the teeth that pushes under the gum margin, and worsens as the plaque hardens into tartar (also called calculus). Gingivitis is reversible if the teeth are professionally cleaned and good home care is begun. If left untreated, it can progress to periodontitis, which is not reversible. Now there is development of deep pockets around the teeth, loss of ligaments that attach the tooth to the socket, bone loss, tooth mobility, and eventually tooth loss. Oral infection usually accompanies periodontal disease, and can get so severe that the pet stops eating. The infection may also invade the bloodstream and result in a systemic infection.
Dental Care
Any or a combination of the above signs may indicate your pet has periodontal disease. Caught early, it is easy to control with a thorough cleaning in the hospital and appropriate home care. Later stages require more involved treatment including cleaning out deep pockets, scaling the roots to remove tartar, possible extractions, and extended antibiotic treatment. You will be amazed at how much better your pet will feel after we have treated his/her oral disease.
Home Care
The best treatment of all is prevention. Advanced periodontal disease makes your pet miserable and severely impairs his/her health: it is also costly to treat. We will examine your pet’s teeth as part of the regular exam, and recommend products you can use at home to clean the teeth. Feeding dry instead of canned food, and giving dental chews, such as Enzadent Chews or Greenies, will help remove some plaque. Good home care plus professional cleaning when recommended by us will help ensure a healthy mouth and a healthy pet.
Brushing your pet’s teeth can be rather difficult, but with some time and patience, most animals can be trained to accept it. The health of your pet will benefit!
Good home care provides about 90% of a pet’s dental needs, and a regular routine at home may help avoid gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth loss and a miserable pet. It is important to start early when training puppies to accept oral care. It is often helpful to start training at a time and place where your pet is most at ease, for example on your lap in the evenings. Begin by gently manipulating your pet’s muzzle until he/she will allow you to handle it without struggling. Do not try to begin any brushing until your pet accepts handling of the mouth, even if this takes many sessions. Remember to keep these sessions short, only 2-3 minutes at a time, and follow up with lots of praise.
The next step is to wrap an old strip of cloth or gauze pad around your finger and gently wipe one or two teeth at a time until your pet learns to accept the procedure. Try not to be in a hurry to push your pet; remember you are training him/her for a lifetime of dental care so it is to your advantage to allow enough time now to try and make it an enjoyable experience. Many pets actually learn to look forward to the time spent together.
Once your dog or puppy learns to accept handling of his/her teeth, you can take advantage of the various products we have, such as special pet toothpastes (called “dentifrices”) and brushes, or fluoride sprays which help to remove plaque (soft bacterial deposits of material on the tooth) and prevent formation of calculus (hard deposits of material on the tooth). You can control about 75% of calculus formation by just being able to wipe or brush the outside of the upper teeth.
We can help you choose the products which will be best for you to use for your particular pet. We do not recommend using “human” toothpastes as these can cause upset stomachs. Also, do not use a baking soda paste as this can overload your pet’s system with sodium and may lead to kidney problems later in life.
HAPPY BRUSHING!!!
TREATS & CHEWS
Another way to further home dental are for your pet is to offer a special diet, treats, or chews that are specially formulated for dental care. Science Diet T/D* is designed to actually squeegee the teeth clean as your pet chews and breaks apart the kibble. You can offer it as a supplement to the normal diet or daily treat.
Enzadent Rawhide Chews* are formulated with a special enzyme to help clean the teeth as they chew. These can be offered daily or on the days you are unable to brush.
Please consult the doctor or technician if you are having difficultly with any type of dental home care. We may be able to suggest alternatives or techniques, which can keep your pet smiling pretty.
* Pets on special diets may be unable to use some of these products. Please ask the doctor or technician if your pet is already on a prescription diet.
