Dental Health

Plaque on teeth can lead to tartar (calculus) build-up and this material acts as a bed for bacterial infection. This infection extends under the gum-line and can lead to destruction of the bone that holds your pet’s teeth in. Loss of tooth support due to gum disease is the main reason that adult animals lose their teeth and suffer from horrible mouth infections that cause discomfort.  Gum disease is treatable, but importantly, can be prevented.

Infected gums means your pet is swallowing bacteria constantly, which can travel through the bloodstream to the heart and kidneys and can cause serious disease of these organs. This has long-term effects on your pet’s wellbeing.

Some indications of gum disease are bad breath, bleeding gums, drooling, loose teeth, reluctant to chew, receding gums and pawing at the mouth.

Treatment

1.    The vet performs a thorough ultrasonic scaling and polishing of the teeth both above and below the gum line under a general anaesthetic, and extracts teeth where necessary.

2.    Regular check ups (every 6-12 months)

3.    Prevention eg. Chewing bones or rawhide, daily brushing using pet toothpaste, mouth washes eg. Aquadent, or special diets eg. Hills t/d, Royal Canine Dental.

Cleaning Teeth under a General Anaesthetic

Plaque build up is the underlying cause of dental disease. Plaque is composed of food particles, saliva and bacteria. This bacterial plaque sticks to the surface of the teeth and can only be removed by mechanical means (chewing raw bones or by brushing). If it is not removed, it will calcify into tartar or calculus, which is hard and more difficult to remove.

The plaque left untreated under the gum line will eventually lead to the tooth becoming loose.  When the teeth are scaled, all of the plaque and calculus must be removed, on the teeth and under the gum line. It is impossible to clean under the gum line without a general anaesthetic, as pets will not hold still with their mouths open whilst we use an ultrasonic scaler and then polish the teeth. Scaling teeth gives bacteria (from plaque) access to the blood stream; for this reason an antibiotic injection may given, and a course of antibiotics may be required. In severe dental disease, your pet may be required to start antibiotics several days prior to the dental scale and polish.

Examples of Dental Health Reports:
Penny's Dental Health Report
Drummer's Dental Health Report