Download Dental disease - Foothills Animal Hospital

Dental disease
The vast majority of our pets have some form of dental disease. This can range from
gingivitis through to severe infection involving the tooth roots and sinuses. Preventative
dental care is therefore very important for your pet. Small dogs (with less ‘chewing power’
in their jaws), dogs and cats with poorly formed mouths (overcrowding or underbite/
overbite) and those on soft foods seem to be predisposed. Previous injuries to the teeth will
also predispose to the development of dental disease (eg car accident or chewing on hard
objects such as rocks and bones can cause fractured teeth).
What is tartar and gingivitis?
Tartar, or dental calculus, is the buildup of food, bacteria and other residue on your pet’s
teeth. This leads to gum infections and gingivitis (inflammation of the gums). Plaque is the
early stage, and is termed tartar once it hardens.
Signs of dental disease
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Red line on the gums along the tooth margin
Swelling of the gums
Bleeding gums
Bad breath
Pus around the teeth
Yellow/ brown teeth (eventually grey/green)
Pain when eating
Excessive salivation
Loose or missing teeth
Gum retraction
Abscesses of the tooth roots (usually seen as a swelling under or behind the eye)
Bone loss with possible jaw fracture
Can dirty teeth be harmful to my pet?
Dirty teeth will cause bad breath, eventual loss of teeth, pain, local infection and can lead to
damage to the heart and kidneys.
What do you do when you clean my pet’s teeth?
General anaesthesia is required to do a thorough job as your pet will not ‘open wide’ or sit
still! Additionally, manipulation of the mouth is quite painful, especially if infection is
already present. We want your pet to be fast asleep for this! Our anaesthetics are chosen
with your pet’s utmost safety in mind, and the choice is dictated by age, weight and physical
condition. Blood tests are often recommended beforehand to ensure the animal is likely to
handle the anaesthetic safely. All animals are placed on intravenous fluids to assist in
maintaining blood pressure and clearance of the anaesthetic via the kidneys.
Your pet’s mouth will be examined for ulcers, tumours, infection and missing teeth.
Sometimes we will perform oral xrays to look for damage and infection around the tooth
roots and sinuses. Debris will then be removed with hand tools, followed by an ultrasonic
scale and polish (the same as you receive at the dentist). The polishing helps to smooth the
enamel surface to make it harder for more plaque to adhere. Where the teeth are severely
damaged or loose they will be extracted. If there is no infection present, the tooth socket
will be sutured using absorbable material. We cannot always determine which teeth need
to be removed until the overlying debris has been cleared. This can make supplying an
accurate estimate difficult.
After the procedure, pain relief and antibiotic injections will be given. If extractions are
performed, pain relief will be dispensed to keep your pet comfortable while the tooth
socket heals.
What about antibiotics?
Antibiotics are usually required in veterinary dentistry because teeth cleaning is not usually
requested until tooth and gum disease is already present and the pet’s mouth already
infected. Be sure to continue any medication prescribed until the course is finished.
Where infection is visibly present, we will often advise starting your course of antibiotics a
few days before the procedure. This helps reduce the amount of bacteria released into the
bloodstream at the time of dental scaling.
What can I do at home for my pet’s teeth?
Some pets seem destined to have problem teeth. A few will need a scale and polish once or
twice a year. There are many at home options that will help to slow down the development
and recurrence of dental disease, including;
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Tooth brushing using a pet toothpaste (the foaming agent and sweeteners in human
toothpaste are unsafe for pets). This is the gold standard and should be performed
as often as possible, IF your pet will let you brush.
Dental diets. For most pets a dental diet such as Hills t/d is a great option. These
biscuits are larger to force the pet to bite down more effectively, and often contain
additives to help prevent plaque buildup.
Maxigard and Mavlab gels. These are pet safe disinfectants that can be wiped or
sprayed onto teeth to help kill bacteria before they can adhere to the tooth.
Dental treats. For pets without pre-existing food sensitivities or pancreatitis, these
are also a great option. Try Greenies and Dentastix.
Plaque Off. This is a novel new powder that is believed to prevent bacteria adhering
to the teeth.
Avoid allowing your pet to chew bones, sticks and rocks. These can break the teeth,
exposing the rough pulp cavity and predisposing to plaque adhesion and infection.
Minimise the feeding of very soft foods. A lot of small dogs will train their owners to
feed tinned and polony style foods only, which require no effort on the dog’s part to
chew. This will do nothing to prevent dental disease. Start young pups early on an
appropriate, primarily biscuit based diet to help prevent them from becoming too
fussy.
Regular checks will also help you in looking after your pet’s teeth. We offer free dental
checks with our nurses. Please feel free to book one in on 9497 7488.