FAIRMONT ANIMAL HOSPITAL

995 Hamilton Road, London, ON

Phone: (519) 453-2940   Fax: (519) 453-5649

After Hours Emergency: (519) 432-7341

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Dental Care for Your Pet

It may surprise you to know that dental disease is one of the most common diseases seen by your veterinarian. Some studies indicate that up to 85% of adult dogs and cats will have some form of dental disease, which may eventually lead to pain, tooth loss, and infection in distant organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys.

So, what kinds of dental disease should a pet owner worry about? The most common dental malady seen in pets is periodontal disease. Plaque is a "slimy" layer of fluid which sticks to the teeth, containing saliva, food and bacteria. If this soft plaque remains on the teeth, minerals from the saliva will gradually harden this plaque into a hard layer on the teeth, called "tartar". This tartar traps bacteria near and under the gums, causing gum inflammation. If the inflammation and bacterial growth are permitted to continue, eventually the bone and soft tissue attachment of the tooth is damaged, causing tooth loss and possible infection or abscessation of the bone of the jaw. This infection may then enter the bloodstream and infect other body organs.

Veterinarians will often detect dental disease during routine physical examinations of your pet. However, pet owners can also detect dental disease by inspecting their pets' mouths periodically for tartar accumulation (usually a yellow/brown accumulation on the surface of the teeth, especially around the gum line), inflammation of the gums (a red or deep pink line on the gum right above the tooth), or evidence of broken or missing teeth. A foul odour to the breath ("halitosis") is also commonly seen with dental disease. If the disease is already established, you should discuss treatment with your veterinarian. Treatments such as cleaning, polishing, extractions or radiographs may be indicated depending upon the severity of the disease.

It is important to realize that pets generally won't show obvious signs of discomfort or pain when their teeth and gums hurt. The chronic ache of dental disease may not reduce their appetite, either. From an evolutionary standpoint, animals which displayed signs of pain in the wild were showing weakness, and were more likely to be targeted by predators. As a result, animals have become experts at masking signs of pain and discomfort. It is remarkable, however, how many animals demonstrate a tremendous positive change once definitive dental treatments have been done, and their mouths feel better. Dogs and cats will often become more sociable and energetic, and owners often report their pets play more and seem "happier".

The first image shows inflamed and swollen gums above a tooth with marked tartar accumulation. The following image shows the same tooth after treatment.