Periodontal disease affects about four out of five pets, with it being the most common condition seen in cats and dogs. It can be a silent disease to most pet owners, as many signs go unnoticed and develop quickly.

If you think about it, humans brush their teeth twice a day, every day, for their entire life. When was the last time you cleaned your pet’s teeth?

Prevention is much better than treatment, so it is in your best interests to understand your pet’s oral health and implement a plan to keep their pearly whites in top shape!

 

What is dental disease?

There are a few things that make up dental disease in dogs and cats. The most common ones are plaque and tartar buildup.

Plaque forms on the teeth as a mixture of saliva, food, and bacteria, which then hardens and continues to build, eventually leading to calculus, otherwise known as tartar. This is the dark, concrete-like layer you may see on your pet’s teeth, mostly near their gum line.

Gingivitis is also commonly seen in animals. It is an inflammatory response to bacterial biofilm that covers the teeth and gums.

The infiltration of the tissues surrounding the teeth by these inflammatory cells cause the angry, uncomfortable red line we often see where the tooth meets the gum.

As gingivitis progresses tooth root exposure can occur which can be very painful. As the gum line recedes due to inflammation and infection, the root of the tooth becomes exposed and pockets form where food and other debris can hide, worsening the situation.

It is not uncommon for the teeth and gums to look relatively normal, however, once dental radiographs are performed we are able to see the extent of disease under the gum line.

This is why we recommend a comprehensive oral health assessment treatment (COHAT) under general anaesthesia.

In addition, cats often develop resorptive lesions (previously these were called feline odontoclastic restorative lesions (FORL)).

These incredibly painful lesions occur in more than 50% of adult cats and unfortunately cannot be prevented or reversed but we can treat them.

A resorptive lesion occurs when the bony substance covering the entire tooth from crown to root called dentin, erodes. This essentially exposes the root canal containing blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves. The lesions are often very painful.

Where resorptive lesions are present, it is recommended the tooth be extracted.

 

Signs your pet is suffering from dental disease

There are a few signs you can keep an eye out for with your pet that point towards dental disease.

Whilst our vets check your pet’s teeth at every annual health check and vaccination, if, at any point you are concerned, one of our veterinary nurses can perform a complimentary dental check.

The most common signs of poor oral health include:

–          Bad breath

–          Showing interest in food but not eating

–          Chewing on one side of their mouth only

–          Blood in their water or food bowl

–          Swollen sides of the face

–          Pawing at the mouth

–          Reduced or abnormal grooming habits

–          Chattering teeth

How do vets perform a dental scale and polish?

If your pet has been diagnosed with dental disease, we recommend a COHAT – a Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment.

Your furry friend will need to stay with us for the day as they will need to go under a general anaesthetic to facilitate this comprehensive exam.

When anaesthestised, we can have a good look inside your pet’s mouth and check for any fractures, root exposure, gum recession, and pockets.

If everything looks straightforward, albeit a little dirty, we scale the teeth using an ultrasonic scaler. This device uses high-pressured water to blast the tartar off the teeth and under the gum line.

Once clean, we polish the teeth to remove any scratches on the surface enamel of the teeth that can be made by the scaler. This is to reduce tartar build-up.

Before and after photos are taken, and your pet is woken up in the arms of one of our veterinary nurses.

If we find some abnormalities in your animals’ mouth or we are suspicious of underlying disease, a set of full mouth radiographs will be taken using a special dental x-ray machine and mouth-sized plates.

These images will show us the condition of the jawbone and roots of the teeth.

If diseased teeth are noticed we will endeavor to call you to discuss removal and the costs involved. In most cases we will be able to remove the teeth then and there, however, if many teeth require removal, or the procedure is particularly tricky, our vet may recommend a staged approach.

This means that the surgery will be split over two or three procedures. This helps to ensure that anaesthesia time is kept to an appropriate length and we can manage your pet with the care it deserves.

Pain is minimised by judicious use of nerve blocks and anti-inflammatory medications that will often be supplied to take home.

The vast majority of pets who have a COHAT performed will gain an improvement in quality of life.

 

At Home Dental Disease Prevention

There are several ways you can minimise the development of dental disease in your pet.

Here at the Ark Veterinary Hospital, we recommend a two-pronged approach: active maintenance and passive maintenance.

Active maintenance is when we clean our cat or dog’s teeth using a toothbrush and specially formulated animal toothpaste. This is the best method to prevent oral disease.

Avoid using human toothpaste as this can aggravate their mouths and burn. Pet-friendly toothpaste comes in delicious pet-friendly flavours like chicken or beef.

Use any small toothbrush that easily fits inside your pet’s mouth.

Teeth brushing ideally needs to be performed daily. Take it slow in the beginning to get your pet used to it.  With some positive training and rewards the process can become very enjoyable and your pet will love you for it!

Passive maintenance utilises diets, treats, and additives that assist in slowing the progression of dental disease.

Ark Vets recommend products that have the VOHC seal of approval (Veterinary Oral Health Council quality assurance program).

• Hills Prescription Diet T/D has a specially formulated fibre matrix that scrubs the tooth surface clean. The large size of the kibble ensures that the tooth remains in contact with the kibble across its entire surface – crown to gumline ensuring that teeth remain clean and the gums healthy.

• Oravet Chews work in two ways – the chewy formula helps to ‘scrub’ plaque away, while a special ingredient delmopinol forms a protective barrier that protects against the build-up of the biofilm that leads to plaque and tartar formation.

• Tropiclean Fresh Breath Dental Health Solution is a water additive that contains an antiseptic that reduces bacteria in the mouth decreasing the formation of plaque and tartar.

• Plaque Off is a seaweed product that has been shown in clinical trials to improve bad breath and significantly reduce the amount of tartar and calculus on teeth. Whilst the method of action isn’t entirely understood, it is believed that the bioactive compounds interact with the pet’s immune system and oral microbiome to produce antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects that reduce plaque and calculus.

There are many other oral hygiene products on the market, please ask our vets what they recommend.

For some animals, it is difficult to implement any treatments like those above at home. They may be older with fewer teeth to chew, or picky eaters. In these cases, it is best to have regular check-ups and dental work under general anaesthesia. This is perfectly safe to be done on an annual basis and means we can keep a close eye on your animal’s condition and document any changes we see along the way.

If you’d like to know more about your animal’s oral health, give us a call on 02 9416 1300  to make an appointment with one of our Veterinary Nurses for a complimentary dental health check.