February is an important month not just because of Black History Month and Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl, but also because it is the month that we, as veterinary professionals, focus on the continued spread and awareness of dental health for pets.

The easiest and quickest way to explain the importance of your pet’s oral health is by comparing it to your own oral health.

In a perfect world we would brush our pets’ teeth daily and take them to the dentist (aka veterinarian) at least once a year for a cleaning, but before you roll your eyes at me and skip the important info below hear me out.

I do not brush my cat’s teeth daily! I’ve probably done it 5 times in his life and one was for a demo video, insert face palm.

Does that make me a bad pet owner? Probably! Haha. Just kidding! No, it doesn’t! But I know I could do better. I did have him in for a dental cleaning recently so I feel a little better about the situation.

Let’s think about this for a second. If you are telling your vet that your pet has bad breath what could that possibly mean? Usually when things smell bad they are either dirty, infected, or just straight up rotten. So it’s pretty reasonable to assume that bad breath is one of the signs that something is growing in that mouth, and it ain’t pretty.

Just think, what do we do when we feel we have bad breath?

We either brush our teeth, use some mouth wash, or pop some minty gum.

Well you kind of do the same for your pet – MINUS THE GUM! Please DO NOT ever give your pet gum! That will cause a completely separate and really bad problem, especially if it is the sugar free kind, but we can cover that in another post.

Back to dental disease.

So what exactly is dental disease?

Dental disease is the accumulation of bacteria in the mouth that leads to inflammation and infection. As these changes progress they start to negatively impact the gums and other structures surrounding and supporting the teeth.

It all begins with a biofilm of bacteria, also known as plaque. Plaque starts to build up along the gum line and over the surface of the teeth.

At this stage, if we are able to brush our pet’s teeth or consistently use approved oral care products we can remove this film and therefore prevent further build up, slowing the progression of dental disease.

Lack of oral care at this stage will then lead to gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums.

Bacteria will continue to accumulate above and below the gum line and the longer it is left untreated the more severe the dental disease becomes.

The plaque thickens and we soon see the formation of tartar.

Over time this starts to also affect the structures under the gum line and we start to have pocket formation, bone loss, and severe periodontal disease that can lead to mobile teeth, tooth root abscesses, and loss of teeth.

Once we are at this stage, sorry to break it to ya, but there is no amount of tooth brushing or dental products that will dig us out of this hole.

Your pet NEEDS a professional veterinary dental cleaning to reverse the problem.

So what does a professional veterinary dental cleaning entail?

Well, it definitely depends on the the degree of periodontal disease.

Since my patients, no matter how good they are, will not lay still with their mouths open to allow me to do the extensive and in depth evaluation that includes dental charting and X-rays, they all need anesthesia.

Now, this can be scary for most, if not all, pet parents but prior to getting to this point there should be a pre-anesthetic exam and bloodwork done.

This ensures that your fur baby is healthy to undergo an anesthetic for their dental procedure. Once cleared with a good bill of health, a routine cleaning will start with dental charting to assess for pockets, degree of gingivitis, and degree of tartar build up. In addition, full mouth dental X-rays are done to assess the structures under the gum line, looking for fractured teeth, tooth root abscesses, severity of bone loss, and other abnormalities that can be affecting the bone.

These initial steps will help determine if the patient’s treatment plan will involve a straight forward dental scaling and polishing or if we actually need more advanced treatments. Some pets will in fact need some teeth extracted, or they may benefit from the use of additional products in identified pockets to help improve the health of the gums and slow the progression of bone loss.

Periodontal disease will vary from pet to pet and what makes it even harder for pet parents to notice there is a problem is that pets are tough!

I mean compared to humans who complain about sensitive teeth and the slightest tooth ache that sends them straight to the dentist, I am seeing pups with teeth falling out of their mouths and they are still eating normally (according to owners) and as happy as can be! Like how?!

Here are some photos to help you get a better visual and examples of different stages of periodontal disease:

So what are some signs to watch for that may indicate there is a problem?

1. Bad breath
2. Red gums
3. Tartar build up on the teeth
4. Changes with eating (dropping food, no longer chewing kibble, swallowing kibble, preferring soft food)
5. Pawing at face
6. Excess drool / blood tinged saliva
7. Swelling of the face (usually under the eyes)

The good news in all of this is that periodontal disease is completely preventable! But it is not easy and will take some work.

Some oral care options to consider for your pets to help prevent and slow the progression of periodontal disease include:

1. Tooth brushing (daily! or at the very least ever other day)
2. Dental diets, dental chews, water additives, oral gels, sprays, sealants (these are specially formulated with ingredients that have been proven to reduce plaque and tartar formation – look for the VOHC seal of approval)
3. Professional veterinary dental cleaning

The goal is to keep our pets oral cavities happy and healthy and work more on preventative dental care. This will look different for every pet because some breeds, the smaller ones in particular, will be more prone to periodontal disease compared to our larger breeds. Sometimes no matter what we do or how good we are with their daily oral care their dental health is very difficult to manage, and veterinary help is the best and only option for these little guys. I’m talking the Yorkies, Maltese, Pugs, to name a few.

Make sure your vet is commenting on your pet’s oral health at their annual exams so that you are aware of what will be the best course of action to maintain their happy smiles.

Also, as an aside, try to be financially prepared. Dental cleanings are not cheap, mainly because the anesthetic adds to the costs, but I guarantee it is all worth it!

Most clinics do have Dental Month promotions throughout the month of February so just ask! It never hurts to ask especially if it makes a difference between staying with a foul mouthed pet or giving them back their healthy Colgate smile!