Pet Dental Care
Good oral hygiene is essential for the long-term health and wellbeing of all animals. Unfortunately, many owners are unaware of the importance of preventive dental care or how to go about it.
When it comes to keeping your furry friend in the best possible health, don’t forget about their pearly whites! Just like humans, pets need regular dental care. Fortunately for pet owners everywhere, there are now plenty of solutions available when it comes to taking care of your pet’s teeth and gums. You can start by brushing your pet’s teeth on a daily basis using toothpaste made specifically for animals. In addition to at-home care, it’s recommended that you take your pet in for a professional cleaning every 6 months or so with a qualified veterinarian.
Why Oral Hygiene is Important
Preventative care is the key to keeping our pets healthy and happy. That’s why it’s so important for pet owners to understand the importance of oral hygiene. Just like people, pets can suffer from dental diseases such as plaque and tartar buildup, tooth decay, periodontal disease and even infections if their teeth are not well taken care of.
Good oral hygiene should begin early in your pet’s life to build healthy habits and support lifelong dental health. Brushing your pet’s teeth daily is the most effective way to remove plaque and tartar buildup, which can lead to gum inflammation (gingivitis) and infections around the tooth roots (periodontitis).
In addition to at-home care, regular veterinary dental checkups are crucial. Your vet can detect early signs of dental disease and recommend professional cleaning if needed.
Signs of Poor Dental Health
I’m often asked about signs of poor dental health in pets. Of course, regular check-ups are the best way to assess dental health, but there are a few things pet owners can look out for between visits.
The most obvious sign is bad breath. Just like humans, when our pets have food and bacteria stuck between their teeth, there can be an unpleasant odor coming from their mouths. Other common signs of poor dental health include yellowing or browning of the teeth, bleeding or swollen gums and difficulty eating due to tooth pain. If you notice any of these symptoms in your pet it is important to take them in for a full check-up as soon as possible – allowing untreated dental problems to persist can lead to further complications such as infection and organ damage.
Poor dental health in pets is a common problem that can manifest itself with a variety of physical symptoms. If left untreated, it could lead to serious health issues and pain for your pet. To keep your furry friend healthy and happy, here are some signs you should look out for:
- Bad breath – if your pet’s breath has an unpleasant odor, it could be a sign of poor oral hygiene.
- Discoloration on teeth – when plaque builds up on the teeth, it may cause yellowing or blackening of the teeth which can be an indication of advanced decay.
- Loose teeth – If you notice any loose or missing teeth in your pet’s mouth, then this could be a sign of gum disease caused by plaque build-up between the gums and teeth.
Types of Treatments
Dental care is an essential part of preventing health problems in pets. Brushing teeth regularly with a pet-safe toothpaste is the best way to help maintain good oral hygiene. Additionally, regular veterinary checkups should include professional cleaning and exams for any signs of gum disease or other issues that need attention. In cases where dental work needs to be done beyond what can be done at home, there are several types of treatments available depending on the severity of the issue at hand.
In milder cases, extracting a tooth or filling cavities may be sufficient for restoring oral health in pets.
Here are a few types of dental treatments that veterinarians commonly use to keep your pet’s teeth healthy:
- Teeth Cleaning: This involves the removal of plaque and tartar buildup on teeth through scaling, polishing and sometimes fluoride application. It is often done with the help of an ultrasonic scaler and hand instruments. Teeth cleaning helps to prevent gum disease and decay in pets.
- Dental X-Rays: These x-rays give the veterinarian a clear picture of any potential problems within the mouth such as abscesses or impacted teeth.
Regular Maintenance Tips
It is important that pet owners understand the importance of regular dental care and maintenance for their pets. Without proper care, plaque and tartar can build up on the teeth causing infection, pain, tooth loss or other serious medical issues.
Regular maintenance of your pet’s dental health is essential to preventing long-term issues. There are several simple steps pet owners can take to ensure their furry friends have healthy teeth and gums. Here are some basic tips for pet dental care:
- Brush their teeth regularly: Use a toothbrush designed specifically for pets and a special toothpaste with ingredients safe for animals. We recommend daily brushing for effective results.
- Offer chews: Chewing on these items helps remove plaque build-up and keeps your pet’s gums in good condition. Always supervise while they chew to make sure they don’t swallow anything that could potentially cause an obstruction or other issue.
Prioritising your pet’s dental care is one of the simplest ways to support their long-term health and wellbeing. Talk to your vet for personalised advice on the best dental care routine for your pet.
Dentistry
Just like their human family our pets need regular dental care both at home and in clinic to keep their teeth clean, healthy and strong.
Here at Brunswick Central Vet Clinic our veterinarians and veterinary nurses that have a wealth dental knowledge and shared goal of ensuring the pets we provide care for live their lives free of dental disease.
What is periodontal disease?
According to study, 85% of dogs and cats have gum disease by the age of three years old. The most noticeable symptom of gum disease is bad breath, but other warning signs include appetite loss, red or inflamed gums, teeth that are yellowing or loose.
It is important to be aware that many pets show no obvious signs of dental disease and most will continue to eat, drink and behave normally despite significant disease and pain from problem teeth. For this reason regular dental checks from a young age are essential so that our veterinary team can detect and treat emerging dental disease.
Periodontal disease progresses through four primary phases, from modest gingivitis (gum inflammation) or small plaque build up to severe gingivitis to moderate or serious gum recession (periodontitis), which can lead to tooth loss or even damage to bone tissue. Intervention at the earlier stages is vital to avoid to disease progression and tooth loss.
Dental check-ups
To assess whether your pet has periodontal disease we recommend animals come in for 6 monthly dental checks with any of our experienced vets or nurses to evaluate their teeth and gums to assess signs of periodontal disease. All pets are allowed unlimited free dental checks with veterinary nurses. During the check we will create a plan with you to ensure your pet’s dental health is cared for effectively through at home prevention or a dental cleaning procedure done in our clinic.
Preventing periodontal disease?
There are multiple different options to help prevent periodontal disease in your pet which you can choose from:
- Toothbrushes and pet toothpastes, toothbrushing should be ideally performed daily
- Prescription dental diets that aid in cleaning the teeth eg Hill’s T/D or Royal Canin
- Dental wipes, gels and water additives
- Dental treats
There are many dental products on the market. To help ensure you are using an effective product we recommend using pet specific dental products that carry the Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted logo. This shows a product is clinical shown to reduce plaque and tartar. Please note due to the risk of serious gut and tooth injury including fracture we do NOT recommend that cooked, smoked or raw bones or hard items such as antlers are given to pets.
Dental hygiene measures should be done at home regularly. Simply make an appointment with us and we can discuss which option may work best for you and your pet at home.
Dental cleaning and staging
No matter how thorough you are with homecare a prophylactic dental procedure in the form of a scale and polish will likely be needed at some stage in your pet’s life. For dentistry to be done safely and properly all pets undergoing dentistry require general anesthesia. Our team are highly skilled in anaesthesia and tailor our care to meet each pet’s individual needs to deliver the safest and smoothest procedure possible.
At Brunswick Central Vet:
For our dental procedures, we now perform staged treatments which is considered best practice. As dental disease also involves the roots of the teeth it is impossible to perform a full dental assessment in a conscious pet. This is where staging comes in. By performing dentistry across two stages we can perform a comprehensive assessment of your pet’s oral health and inform you of your pet’s required treatment before proceeding with any dental extractions. This keeps you fully aware of your pets’ needs and also ensures we are performing any oral surgery in a freshly cleaned mouth, free of nasty tartar. In general two shorter anesthetics are considered safer than one very long anesthetic.
These staged procedures are,
- Stage 1: Includes x-rays, full dental assessment, scaling, and polishing. At Brunswick Central Vet all pets undergoing dentistry have full series of dental x-rays performed as standard. Many pets will only require a stage 1 procedure and home dental hygiene.
- Stage 2: This stage is for dental surgery should your pet require extractions due to advanced periodontal disease, resorption (FORLS) or traumatic tooth injuries. A stage 2 dental should be done 1-2 weeks after the first procedure to ensure dental x-rays are current and the mouth is still nicely clean.
Both stages are booked together, and Stage 2 is cancelled if not needed. We’ll provide estimates for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 up front and adjust the Stage 2 estimate after Stage 1 to reflect your pet’s specific needs. The Best for Pet wellness program provides a dental discount to help with the cost of the stage 1 procedure.
Dental procedures are done under general anesthetic as a day stay. Pets are usually admitted between 8-9am and go home later that day once they have recovered.
