Your Pet Needs Dental Care, Too! Health topics at Fox Animal Hospital.

2107 Crawford Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201; Telephone: (847) 869-4900

YOUR PET NEEDS DENTAL CARE TOO!
For us humans, caring for our teeth and gums has been part of our daily routine for as long as we can remember. Well just like you, your pet needs dental care too. Imagine if you did not brush your teeth for years and never visited a dentist for professional exams, cleanings and other treatments. Your overall health would suffer. Studies in humans have shown that good oral care can add 7-10 years to your life. Likewise, studies in veterinary medicine have shown that it is possible to add 3-5 years to a dog or cat's life with good oral care. The information provided below will help you understand more about oral disease and how you can help prevent such problems.

1. How does oral disease occur?

As your pet eats, food in the mouth sticks to the teeth and gums. Bacteria begin to grow, forming plaque. Plaque is a soft colorless film that contains large amounts of bacteria. If not removed, plaque can harden into tartar. Tartar appears as a light brown colored coating on the teeth. The tartar collects both above and below the gumline causing inflammation and infection of the tissues, bone loss that supports the teeth and eventually tooth loss. Periodontal disease is the term used to describe this process.

2. Why is oral care so important to my pet?
The obvious reason for good oral care is to keep all its teeth healthy. Even more important, studies have proven that the bacteria associated with periodontal disease enters the pet's bloodstream daily creating a constant low-grade infection. Once bacteria enter the bloodstream, they can travel to other major organs and begin infection there. Organs with high blood flow are most susceptible to such infections. These organs include the lungs, heart, liver and kidneys. The infection can cause these organ systems to deteriorate faster than they normally would, thus shortening a pet's life.

3. How can I tell if my pet has oral disease?
Pets are not able to communicate directly that they are suffering from oral problems. In early stages of disease, there are minimal signs that probably go unnoticed. Eventually you will see signs associated with more advanced disease such as strong bad breath, heavy tartar accumulation, increased redness along the gumline, difficulty eating (can't chew properly, food falling out of mouth), loss of appetite, excessive drooling and even changes in personality due to chronic pain. Of course, an oral exam by a veterinarian is the best way to assess your pet's teeth.

4. Why does my pet need anesthesia for dental cleaning?
When you go to the dentist for an exam and cleaning, the dentist asks you to sit still and open wide. Try telling this to a dog or cat! Anesthesia is necessary so that a thorough exam and cleaning can be performed.

5. What do you do when you clean my pet's teeth?
Once your pet is under anesthesia an oral exam is performed to check for problems such as loose teeth, gum disease, cavities, growths and other oral tissue diseases. Then, using an ultrasonic scaler and hand scalers, all the tartar is removed both above and below the gumline. (Recall that it is the tartar below the gumline that causes the most problems). When tartar removal is completed, polish is applied to smooth the surfaces of the teeth. Finally, an anti-bacterial gel is applied. In severe cases of infection or if extractions have been performed, antibiotics will be dispensed for home administration.

6. What can I do at home after the dental to help my pet?
Ideally you should brush your pet's teeth everyday. Plaque will start forming with the first meal your pet eats after the dental. Plaque will then turn to tartar in as little as 24-48 hours. Plaque is soft and can be removed by brushing; tartar is hard and can only be removed with dental cleanings. Realistically, brushing a couple times per week can still be effective in slowing the build-up of tartar. It is important to realize that regardless of how often you do brush the teeth that it is inevitable that tartar will recur. The goal is to increase the time interval between dental cleanings. Also in dogs, small breeds tend to have more problems with oral disease than do larger breeds. With cats, the purebreds are more likely to need more care.

For dogs, a toothbrush, fingerbrush or spin brush used with specially flavored and formulated pet toothpaste works well for home care. (Human toothpastes should not be used as they contain fluoride and detergents that can be harmful to pets). For cats, a finger brush or small round tipped toothbrush can be used. In addition to brushing or for those pets that will not tolerate brushing products are available that can be added to the drinking water bowl that helps reduce bacteria and freshen breath. These products are all available from our office and we will assist you in choosing the right ones for your pet.

Most pets are not going to take to brushing willingly at first, but remember, this is a training process just like teaching your dog to sit. With patience and practice, most pets will eventually go along and even look forward to brushing!