What causes dental disease in man or beast?
Basic facts you must know about dental disease
Dental Disease Fact #1
Dental disease starts much earlier in life than most people realize. Small children can have cavities before they start kindergarten if their parents do not insist that they begin dental hygiene as soon as they have teeth. Dogs usually demonstrate some degree of dental disease by the time they are three years old.
You need to recognize the earliest indications of dental disease in your pup. You may notice the following:
- Bad breath
- The buildup of yellow tartar on their teeth
- Gums that are obviously red and swollen
Once you notice the above-listed signs of dental disease, you need to act aggressively to reverse this risky situation. If these indicators of dental disease are left to progress your dog will develop inflammation and chronic pain. They may even become unable to eat enough to fulfill their nutritional needs for optimal health.
It is best to detect early dental disease before it begins to have a negative effect on your dog’s quality of life. AAHA strongly recommends that you take your dog for annual dental evaluations and cleaning (if needed). If dental disease is detected in your dog, they are likely to need to be seen more often than once a year.
Dental Disease Fact #2
Dental disease causes your dog to have significant and chronic pain. If it is not detected early on, the months (or years) of building up tartar and plaque on their teeth can lead to inflammation. infection and diseased teeth. Once this occurs they will already have pain.
Some dogs are really good at hiding their pain from you. Alternatively, you may notice that they are much more irritable and appear to have a decreased appetite. They may even become lethargic to some degree.
If they are an older dog you may think this is due to the aging process. Once the dog’s dental disease has been addressed your dog may be more active and seem happier as well.
Dental Disease Fact #3
Dental x-rays greatly improve your vet’s ability to accurately diagnose the degree of dental disease your dog may be suffering. Normal appearing teeth (to the naked eye) have been found to have 27.8% diseased teeth when x-rays were performed by the vet. Diseased appearing teeth were found to have an extra 50% of diseased teeth by x-ray.
Dental Disease Fact #4
Anesthesia is a valuable medical tool that allows for safer evaluation and treatment of your dog’s mouth. It is also much less stressful for both the dog and the vet when anesthesia is used. Dogs rarely stay still for dental evaluations and procedures unless anesthesia of some sort is used.
The sharp dental instruments are sterilized but can still cause damage if the dog moves unexpectedly and gets jabbed by them. The same goes for the vet. Anesthesia allows the vet and the dog to remain safe while an accurate assessment and treatment of the dog’s mouth take place.
Dental Disease Fact #4
Anesthesia is not something to fear or avoid. It is a very safe option and prevents other, more probable harm from happening. Your dog should be carefully evaluated and screening bloodwork performed to rule out any underlying disease that might make anesthesia unsafe.
While the dental procedure is taking place, there should be someone professionally trained to closely monitor your dog. You should expect them to continuously keep an eye on the dog’s vital signs and to keep ongoing communication with the vet during the time your dog is under anesthesia.
Dental Disease Fact #5
Dentistry without anesthesia is not only stressful to the dog, the vet, and you, but it is also ineffective and unsafe. Can imagine being in a strange place with several people you do not know holding you down and speaking a foreign language?
What if they also held a bright light in your eyes and stuck sharp, scary-looking objects in your mouth that caused you pain? This is what your dog would be experiencing having dental work without anesthesia. Obtaining an x-ray to see what is below the gumline requires anesthesia as well as to safely and effectively clean their teeth.
Dental Disease Fact #6
Cleaning the bacteria and plaque beneath your dog’s gumline is even more vital than scaling the teeth above the gumline. Otherwise, serious infections can spread into the root of the tooth and even into the dog’s haw bone. If the infection spreads into their bloodstream, all the organs of the body can become infected as well and death becomes a possibility.
Dental Disease Fact #7
A personalized pain protocol for your dog should be expected to keep them comfortable and safe during the dental procedure. This is true even if the vet needs to extract a tooth.
The medications used to numb the area may last up to 8 hours. Your dog should remain comfortable for this period of time. The vet may also prescribe an additional pain medication for you to give your dog for the rest of his recovery period at home.
Dental Disease Fact #8
Prevention really is worth a pound of cure, or more! Providing dental care at home is an essential component of taking good care of your dog’s health. Brushing their teeth on a consistent basis can help prevent them from developing serious dental disease and requiring painful and expensive oral surgery later on.
There are kinds of toothpaste created just for dogs! DO NOT EVER use human toothpaste on your dog’s teeth as some of their ingredients (like xylitol) are toxic to dogs. Instead, they the beef, chicken, fish, or peanut butter flavored products.
Finally, your dog’s diet can have an effect on your dog’s dental status. You can help prevent the buildup of tartar or plaque by feeding them a diet designed to protect their teeth.
Dental Disease Fact #8
Be judicious about the dental products you choose to purchase. If you are unable to brush your dog’s teeth as often as you should then look for other products created to help protect their oral health. Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) approved products available are safe and effective.
Avoid products advertised to help keep your dog’s teeth clean that are too hard or break very easily as they can cause serious damage to their gums or break their teeth. Examples of these are some animal bones or antlers and synthetic bones.
Dental Disease Fact #9
There are official guidelines designed to help you provide quality dental care to your dog. It can be found at the https://www.aaha.org/aaha-guidelines/2022-aaha-pain-management-guidelines-for-dogs-and-cats/home/
BEFORE AND AFTER A VISIT TO THE DOGGY DENTIST
He went into the office innocent enough and without dread. At this time he still loved his family.
He is not too happy with his family right now! Luckily they realize the importance of taking good care of his dental needs and will let this prevent them from taking him back next year.
Do you think that his attitude is indicative of his feeling about his dental appointment.? He is staring straight ahead to make sure “Mom” understands he’s ignoring her. Do you think she is getting the idea?
Information on how to brush your dog’s teeth at home is readily available. https://youtu.be/54WroRd1GiA
Dental care is one of the things we are responsible for giving our dogs. Sometimes, they require more than just brushing their teeth often enough, Can you afford to have this done? https://happymutt.org/can-you-afford-to-own-a-dog/
Photo courtesy of Duck Duck Go