Dental Disease

 

Good dental hygiene is essential for a happy, healthy pet. Studies have shown that animals with good teeth and gums often live longer, healthier lives.

 

What is dental disease?

Dental disease or “peridontitis” is the accumulation of bacteria or tartar on the teeth.

In the mouth bacteria builds up and forms plaque. The bacteria irritates the gums causing them to become swollen and inflamed (gingivitis).  The bacteria continue to adhere to the teeth and interact with saliva, eventually developing into tartar (calculus). Continued calculus formation allows the bacteria to travel under the gums and cause further damage to the tissue and underlying bone.

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How will I know if my pet has dental disease? 

Signs of dental disease include:   

• Smelly breath (halitosis)

• Difficulty or refusal to eat

• Red or bleeding gums

• Excessive drooling

• Sore mouth and teeth

The vet will also check your pet’s teeth every visit – that way we can easily identify if there are any problems with their teeth.

Often, our pets can be in pain and not give us an indication that they are sore. It is therefore really important that we pay attention to any changes in their behaviours and have them checked by a vet.

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How can I reduce the risk for my pet? 

There are a number of preventative options available to reduce the risk of your pet developing dental disease. These include:

• Annual prophylactic scale and polish

• Dental diets: Hills t/d,  Royal Canin ‘Dental’  – the biscuits are designed to be abrasive, removing the tartar when chewing.

• Teeth brushing

• Greenies or Oravet – the unique design works in conjunction with your pets chewing to remove plaque and calculus from the teeth

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Eeeek! My pet has dental disease! How can it be treated?

When an animal has dental disease a “dental” is required – similar to what we have done when we visit the dentist! Your pet will need to undergo a general anaesthetic so we can perform a comprehensive assessment and clean. This involves removing tartar, using a probe to check the gums and taking x-rays to check for disease around the roots of the teeth. We will then scale and polish the teeth.

The assessment allows us to identify if any surgical treatment is required, including extraction of diseased teeth. This dental surgery will be discussed after the assessment and further treatment will be planned for in a subsequent procedure. Your pet may also need antibiotics and pain relief.

After the dental, it is recommended to feed soft food to allow the gums to heal. It is also key to continue home dental treatment to reduce the recurrence of bacteria and calculus.

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What complications can occur if it isn't treated?

Untreated dental disease is guaranteed to worsen over time. This causes pain which can lead to reduced energy and activity levels. The bacteria from the mouth can also enter the bloodstream and travel to vital organs in the body including the heart, lungs, kidneys and liver. This can result in long term complications that can leave your pet very unwell.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your pet’s dental hygiene, please feel free to contact us.