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Show Us Those Pearly Whites!
How New Digital Technology Helps Us Keep Your Pets' Teeth Healthy
Do you brush your teeth every day? Floss regularly? Been going to the dentist once or twice a year since you were a little kid? If you answered yes to any of the above, chances are that you probably have good teeth and overall oral health. Sure, we’ve all had a few cavities filled or braces as teenagers, but who hasn’t? We are lucky to be a country of mostly sparkling white smiles.
But what if you never brushed your teeth or went to the dentist? Would your teeth be covered with slimy plaque and tartar, accompanied by raging gingivitis? Would your breath be so foul that small children would run from you in horror?! The answers to these questions may be yes - especially if you are a cat or dog. Think about this. If you don’t brush your teeth for two or three days, doesn’t your mouth feel gross? Multiply that by years and imagine how your mouth would look, feel and smell. Pretty disgusting, huh? But that is how most of our companion animals live their lives. Unfortunately, few pet owners are aware of the need for good oral health care and even fewer owners brush their dog’s or cat’s teeth daily. Nearly 70-80% of cats and dogs show signs of oral disease by the age of three, according to a recent American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) study. Dental disease is actually the most common disease in small animal practice. Sadly, it has also traditionally been one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care.
This is changing, however, as both veterinarians and pet owners are becoming more aware and proactive about oral health. Routine oral exams have always been part of a pet’s annual exam, but every year, more veterinary hospitals are investing in their own in-hospital dental equipment and special dental digital radiology (x-rays) systems. More pet companies are coming out with new special oral care diets, dental treats or flavored toothpastes. A number of years ago, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) even designated February as National Pet Dental Health Month. But why is oral health so important, you ask?
The first sign of oral disease is often halitosis (bad breath). Yes, there are other causes of halitosis (mainly the poop or dead mouse eating our pets often enjoy), but oral disease is a major cause. The second sign is pain, which is often not especially apparent to many owners. Affected animals may be less inclined to chew or play because of their painful mouths. Would you want to play tug-of-war with a loose tooth? I didn’t think so. The level of oral pain is not often truly appreciated until after a dental procedure, when the pet has the diseased teeth removed and is more willing to play and eat. Oral infections also serve as a great way to continuously introduce bacteria into the rest of the body, which can lead to liver, kidney and heart problems. This can exacerbate already existing health problems. The immune system has to constantly fight a low level of bacteria in the bloodstream, which distracts it from dealing with more serious issues. Preventing dental disease can help give your pet a longer, healthier life!
Let me explain the basic progression of periodontal disease and you can figure out pretty quickly why it’s bad for your pet. First, a bacterial film called plaque attaches to the teeth. This is what can be easily removed by brushing. If plaque is left to spread, it can lead  to gingivitis, causing the gums to become red and swollen. (I’m sure your dentist has lectured you about the dangers of gingivitis!) When the bacteria in the plaque die, they become calcified and form a hard, rough substance called tartar or calculus. Tartar cannot simply be brushed off and it provides a surface for more plaque to attach. This leads to further gingivitis and gum recession. It also allows an opportunity for infection to take root around the teeth. In advanced periodontal disease, the tissues around the teeth are destroyed, leading to bone loss, resorptive lesions and loose teeth. Sound painful and disgusting? You bet it is!
So what can we do to help our pets keep a healthy, white, pain-free smile? The three major components of proper oral care for our pets are regular oral examinations by our veterinarians, at-home dental care (including brushing the teeth and dental treats) and if needed, dental procedures under general anesthesia (including x-rays, extractions, and cleanings). I am sure you have seen us lifting your (hopefully nice) dog or cat’s lips to look at their teeth, right? It’s one of the first things I do during my physical examinations, right after I let them sniff me and give them a little love. Once I have evaluated their teeth, I can make suggestions as to dental care. Sometimes, it is as simple as showing you how to brush their teeth daily or switching to a special oral care diet. But once your pet has tartar, no amount of brushing or dental treats are going to get rid of it. Check out this website www.oralatp.com for more information about examination, treatment and prevention of dental disease.
For any significant dental disease, your pet should come in for a dental procedure This involves a one-day stay at the hospital where the dental procedures are performed under general anesthesia. Why general anesthesia, you ask? Because no pet, no matter how well behaved, is going to sit back with their mouth open like you do at your dentist! We recommend a pre-anesthetic examination and bloodwork on all pets to make sure they are healthy enough to handle the anesthesia. Once under general anesthesia, we can better evaluate your pet’s teeth for any fractures, defects, resorptive lesions, etc. We can ultrasonically remove tartar, probe gingival depth, and extract any loose or diseased teeth. Check out this link to our other dental page to look at the before and after pictures of a dog dental cleaning.
Recently, we acquired our own little Nomad, a portable dental x-ray machine, and the Scan-X digital processer! We are very excited about these new devices because it allows us to better evaluate the health of your pet’s teeth. A tooth may look OK to the naked eye, but an x-ray may show signs of significant periodontitis, bone loss, or underlying abscesses. X-rays can also help make sure teeth are extracted properly. Take a look at the following images. In the first one, you see an area of bone loss surrounding one of the molars. This allows a pocket under the tooth for bacteria to collect and fester, so that tooth needs to be extracted. The second image shows a partial extraction with one tooth root remaining. If that tooth root is left in, it has the potential to become infected and cause the pet further pain. Without an x-ray, we may not have been able to evaluate when all roots had been extracted, as seen in the last film. 
Since our Nomad/Scan-X duo provides us a visual of what is going on under the surface, we can make better decisions regarding your pet's teeth. It's a immensely valuable tool and we are very pleased to offer you, our clients, this addition to our dental care toolbox. Ideally, we recommend survey x-rays of your pets entire mouth while undergoing any dental procedure, regardless if any extractions are needed or not. After all, don't you have x-rays done on your teeth on a yearly basis? We don't want to offer our patients any less than the highest standard of care.
I hope this article has helped you to understand the importance of good dental care for your own pets. Remember, your dog's breath may be foul because he eats poop or dead things - but it could also be a sign of some serious dental disease! So please, talk to your veterinarian about what you can do to help maintain your pet's healthy, white sparkling smile. Your pet (and your nose) will thank you for it!
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