More than 85 percent of dogs and cats older than 4 years have dental issues. Every dog that weighs less than 25 pounds is prone to dental disease. I start my discussion about dental care with these documented statistics because I am always surprised why pet owners don’t take dental disease more seriously.
In human medicine, chronic inflammation has been linked to a multitude of disease problems. Inflammation, in its simplest terms, is the body’s response to injury at a cellular level. This response helps initiate the body’s defense mechanisms, but if the inflammation becomes chronic, the response can have negative effects. Dental disease, whether it is in a human, a dog, or a cat is a type of chronic inflammation.
Dental disease starts when plaque forms. Plaque is a colorless fluid that is formed by bacteria in the mouth. Plaque begins to form within 12 hours after a tooth has been cleaned. If the plaque is not removed, minerals in food collect on it to form a hard dental calculus. This yellow-brown tartar is irritating to the surrounding gum tissue, resulting in gingivitis. Gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums, changes the pH of the mouth. This creates an environment which allows bacteria to colonize under the gum line, resulting in destruction of the tissues supporting the tooth and its eventual loss. Dental disease, if left untreated, can also be a factor in heart, lung, liver, kidney, and prostate infections.
What to do? Dental care at home is a great place to start. Brushing your pet’s teeth at home is absolutely the best thing you can do. But I know, as a pet owner myself, that this is not always an easy thing to do. Some dogs and cats simply refuse to cooperate, even when you use the very tasty pet toothpastes that are available. While not a substitute for brushing, there are some pet foods and treats (t/d by Hill’s and CET chews from Virbac, for example) that can help decrease the rate of plaque and calculus formation. There are also oral rinses and water additives that can be used when tooth brushing is not an option.
There are many products widely advertised that promise to miraculously dissolve your pet’s dental tartar with a simple spray. How do you find out which products will really work as advertised without wasting your time and money? Start by visiting the website of the Veterinary Oral Health Council (www.vohc.org). Since 1998, members of the council, including representatives from the American Veterinary Dental College, the Academy of Veterinary Dentistry and the American Veterinary Dental Society, review test data and award a seal of approval for those products that actually can reduce the severity of dental disease in pets.
Home dental care is important to helping maintain your pet’s dental health, but it is not a substitute for regular professional dental exams and cleaning by your veterinarian. A dental exam and cleaning includes probing the gum line of each tooth to chart any potential problems. This is followed by ultrasonic scaling, polishing, and management of any specific problems found during the charting. This may require oral radiographs, extraction of a fractured or diseased tooth or other procedures, such as a root canal.
Dental care is an important part of your pet’s overall health. This is just one of the reasons why an annual exam by your veterinarian is a fundamental part of helping to keep your pets healthy and happy.
Dr. Kiel is the U.S. Army veterinarian currently supporting NAS Whidbey Island and Naval Station Everett. His columns appear the first and third Friday of each month. Please send questions or comments to Dr. Kiel at joseph.kiel@navy.mil.
