Dental Health Month

February is DENTAL HEALTH MONTH!

Glove Cities Veterinary Hospital is very excited to focus on the topic of oral care for your cat, dog, and small mammals. Dental preventative care and treatment of dental disease is the foundation of good overall health. Dental disease is one of the most commonly seen diseases among companion animals and small mammal pocket pets. It can also be one of the most painful diseases.

Remember that your pet’s mouth is not only for eating! Our canine, feline, and small mammal friends use their mouth for a variety of tasks: moving things around, playing, foraging for food, hunting, defense, caring for their young, vocalization, eating, drinking, self grooming etc. Any area of pain in the mouth of your companion will be a constant source of discomfort as they utilize their mouth for a large number of purposes outside of just eating. Most animals will eat despite pain on a purely survival instinct. However this month we will discuss why dental care is important, the basics, at home care and preventative measures, and prevention and treatment in the hospital setting.

Dental Basics

The dental basics for your dog and cat are very similar to that of people. When young, puppies and kittens have a set of deciduous (puppy/kitten) teeth that will fall out as they are replaced by permanent adult teeth.

The cat has 26 temporary (baby) teeth that erupt at 3-4 weeks of age and 30 permanent teeth that erupt around 3-4 months of age.

The dog has 28 temporary (baby) teeth that erupt at 3-4 weeks of age and 42 permanent teeth that erupt around 4 months of age.

Practicing good dental care from the beginning of your puppy/kitten’s life means regular wellness care visits to your veterinarian in the early months. Your veterinarian will check for proper alignment of teeth, bite, and tooth development. Any retained baby teeth may need to be extracted if they do not naturally fall out. Leaving baby teeth in place with adult teeth causes as area of improper bite which can set your pet up for dental disease later in life.

The Mouth

Your pet’s mouth is specifically designed for the tasks they need to perform. For our pet’s this includes more than simply eating; It includes an entire array of tasks from playing to fighting to eating. Everyday when we brush our teeth we remove a biofilm. A biofilm is a film of bacteria mixed with food debris and saliva that arises naturally within our mouth. For dogs and cats that do not have their teeth brushed daily biofilm layers over time. Eventually the bacteria hardens and transforms from plaque to tartar which is NOT something that can be brushed/scraped off. Once tartar has solidified on the teeth, it can only be completely removed by a dental scaling under anesthesia. Most all dogs and cats that do not have at home care or in hospital dental cleanings have some amount of tartar. Tartar eventually over time is what will ultimately lead to periodontal disease in most cases.

Periodontal disease is an INFECTION!

Animals without at home care and prophylactic dental cleanings will ultimately develop plaque and subsequently tartar on their teeth from the layering of the biofilm (bacteria, food, saliva). Plaque and tartar are the most important reasons why a dog or cat develops painful periodontal disease. Inflammation and destruction of the gums and supporting structures of the tooth (periodontal ligament) is caused directly by the bacteria present (tartar) on those teeth.

Without proper preventative care or dental disease treatment plaque and tartar will lead to periodontal disease which can result in loose teeth, abscesses, infections, gingivitis, gum/enamel erosion, pain, weight loss, difficulty eating, and other systemic disease. Tartar left un-scaled can cause the surface of the tooth to become roughened and therefore a better area for bacteria to attach, speeding up the process of periodontal disease.

The good news is that you can reduce the risk of your pet having dental disease with preventative care which we will discuss in detail over the next month. If your pet already has dental disease there are options! Seek out the advice of your veterinarian to learn what procedures and medications are indicated to help your pet’s mouth be functional and pain free!

The first step to dental health is routine veterinary care! At home however, there are a few things you can watch for in-between visits to try and detect evidence of dental disease.

Cats:
Many cats have painful lesions, gingivitis, and tartar formation over the course of their life without routine care.
Look for:
Bad or rotten smelling breath
Drooling
Reluctance to eat dry food (or wet)
Weight loss
Reluctance to drink cold water
Painful when you try and touch their mouth
Bad tempered or a change in their behavior
HIDING! - Many cats when they are in pain HIDE as their only symptom
Depression
Pawing at their mouth

Dogs:
Bad or rotten smelling breath
Broken teeth (common in dogs that play aggressively or chew on hard bones)
Reluctance of eat dry food
Weight loss
Depression
Painful or aggression when touching their mouth
Pawing at the mouth

If any of the above symptoms are noticed, a trip to your veterinarian is warranted. Many times we do not know how ill our dog or cat feels until we resolve their dental issues! Many owners have noticed that their dog or cat is a completely different (HAPPIER) animal after those painful teeth are removed.

Left untreated periodontal disease leads to pain and often loss of the tooth and infected teeth. The inflammation and infection associated with periodontal disease can lead to dysfunction of other major internal organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys.

Stay tuned with us as next week as we continue to promote February’s Dental Health Month! We will continue to cover important topics such as at home dental care, in hospital dental care, and care for dental disease that is already present.

Dr. Santspree, Abbey LVT