Essential Tips for Maintaining Pet Dental Health

Did you know poor oral health can lead to health issues other than bad breath? Oral health is a commonly overlooked issue in our pets and can lead to much more than bad breath. Not because we don't care, but because most of us aren't inspecting their mouths daily and they are wired to hide their pain.

Dogs and cats rarely get cavities in the same way that we do. The most common way for dental disease to progress in our pets is bone destruction which results in tooth mobility and infections. Dental tartar accumulates and hardens along and under the gum line, and the bacteria involved slowly degrade the bone that our teeth sit in causing irreversible damage. We also frequently see tooth fractures from biting or chewing on things that are too hard. In our feline friends, resorptive lesions are painful lesions that develop on teeth as the body tries to dissolve them for unknown reasons, impacting an estimated 20-60% of all cats! Resorptive lesions are a poorly understood process unfortunately, and extraction of the affected teeth is recommended to treat the pain.

Prevention

Ideally we prevent teeth from getting to a point of needing extraction. While this is not always feasible or realistic, here are a few tips and things you can do at home to help slow the progression of dental disease. Remember, brushing doesn't mean you don't have to go to the dentist!

1. BRUSHING daily is the best preventative measure for dental disease. Soft bristles are recommended as they are able to reach under the gum-line whereas things like cotton pads or silicone brushes are not. If your pet tolerates a small kids electric toothbrush, these can work great as well! 95% of the tartar buildup is on the outside surface of the teeth, so focus there. It will take time to get your pet used to the process, so start slow. Add some pet friendly flavored toothpaste to the brush and let them lick it off the first few times. Then start with their front teeth, and each day move a little farther back. It may take some time to get around to doing their whole mouths. Some pets may refuse tooth brushing. Don't worry; it's not your fault - they just don't like it and that's ok. There are other things you can still do to help. One other note is that the physical brushing is the most important part here. While there are great enzymatic and special toothpastes out there, the primary function of them is to get your pet to allow brushing by making it taste good. Mmmm, beef flavored toothpaste anyone?

2. DENTAL DIETS and treats are a great option. They are not as uniform compared to brushing, in that animals do not chew much with their incisors and canine teeth for example. Dental kibble and treats thus target the molars and back chewing teeth more. Not all kibble are made the same - eating captain crunch all day doesn't help keep your teeth clean. Look for the VOHC (veterinary oral health council) symbol on foods or treats. To be VOHC approved, a minimum of 20% tartar reduction must be observed in feeding trials. There are no regulations on pet products, so anything can be marketed as a dental product. The VOHC symbol provides at least a basic demonstration of efficacy.

   

3. WATER/FOOD ADDITIVES can help reduce bacteria in the mouth but are not a replacement for brushing or dental foods. They do not remove plaque from the teeth. Think of it like using mouthwash without brushing - it only goes so far.

4. DENTAL CLEANING is an important part of dental care. Unfortunately to properly clean teeth, general anesthesia is required to properly clean under the gums - the most important area. Removing plaque and such from the side of the tooth above the gum-line can help reduce bad breath, but doesn't prevent further bone destruction. It can make the teeth look cleaner, but the health benefits are limited. Understandably there is frequently concern for anesthesia, along with the cost of it. There is always inherently some risk, and this should be discussed with your veterinarian, as well as ways to mitigate them as best as possible. We'd like to avoid extracting teeth, but sometimes this does become necessary to treat pain and infection.