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NATIONAL DENTAL HEALTH MONTH

By Gail C. Golab, DVM, PhD

 More than 85% of dogs and cats that are at least 4 years old have a condition in which bacteria attack the soft gum tissue.This condition is called periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is the final stage in a process that begins with the development of plaque on your pet’s teeth. Plaque is a substance that forms when bacteria multiply on the teeth and gums. Plaque mixes with saliva, hardens, and becomes the substances known as tartar and calculus. Bacteria, plaque, tartar, and calculus irritate the gums, which become tender, red, and swollen.This stage of dental disease is called gingivitis. Eventually inflamed gums separate from the teeth, creating pockets that can trap more bacteria.These pockets deepen and bacteria may attack the roots of the teeth and the bony tissue of the jaw, causing teeth to loosen, the gums to bleed, mouth odor, and pain when your pet eats.This is full-blown periodontal disease.

 Bacteria from the teeth and gums can enter the bloodstream and may travel to major organs and begin infection there. Among organs that are most often affected are the lungs, heart, kidneys, and liver. Parts of the nervous system may be affected as well. Although these infections are usually treatable when caught at an early stage, they can cause serious damage to these organs and, if not caught in time, may cause death.  Periodontal disease can be prevented and treated.The keys to your pet’s oral health are professional veterinary dental care and good care at home.Too few pets receive both and most don’t receive either. You can change that today!

 Step 1. Visit your veterinarian.
In addition to a physical examination and medical history, the doctor will examine your pet’s teeth and gums. Recommendations may be made for cleaning, polishing, and other dental care in the hospital, or your veterinarian may suggest a program of home dental care.

Step 2. Professional dental care.
If your pet already has evidence of periodontal disease, a professional cleaning is in order. Depending on your pet’s age and physical condition, the doctor may request that blood analyses, radiography, or other diagnostic tests be performed to evaluate the heart, liver, and kidneys for coexisting disease before proceeding with general anesthesia.

Once your pet is under anesthesia, accumulated tartar and calculus is removed by ultrasonic and hand scaling.Teeth needing fillings or root canals can be repaired and teeth that are beyond repair can be extracted. Finally the teeth are polished to slow down formation of new plaque, tartar, and calculus. If there is evidence of major bone loss or another serious oral condition, your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary dental specialist.

 Step 3. Dental care at home.
For cats and dogs, regular brushing is an important part of any preventive dental program. A special toothbrush and toothpaste for pets are recommended. Your veterinarian can show you the proper way to brush your pet’s teeth.

Feeding your pet coarse-textured food may help prevent accumulation of plaque, tartar, and calculus. Ask your veterinarian to advise you as to the best diet for your pet.

 Step 4. Return to your veterinarian for regular dental checkups every 6 to 18 months, or as recommended.

 

PET’S BAD BREATH MAY BE SIGN OF DENTAL DISEASE

By Sue Manning, Associated Press

 Dogs have 42 teeth, humans have 32, cats have 30 and Mario has none.  The cat was eating poorly, hiding in the closet, and had red, sore gums when he was diagnosed with a mouth infection called stomatitis.Three surgeries and $10,000 later, all his teeth had been pulled.  “Once he started feeling better, he again became a happy, normal, healthy cat, very loving, affectionate and playful,” said Mary Roever ofGreen Bay,Wis., who with her husband adopted Mario from a shelter. “His cheek appears ever so slightly sunken in, but you really have to look to see it.”

 The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that by age 2, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have some form of dental disease. Infections have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life- threatening problems.  Dental disease was the most common problem found among the 2.2 million dogs and 450,000 cats treated at Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2010, according to the group’s “State of Pet Health 2011 Report.” With 770 hospitals in 43 states, Banfield is the world’s largest general vet practice.

 It can be hard to tell if your dog or cat has a toothache but there are warning signs, said Dr. Kevin S. Stepaniuk, president-elect of the American Veterinary Dental Society, and assistant clinical professor and veterinary dentist at theUniversityofMinnesota’sCollegeofVeterinary Medicine.

Bad breath, loose or discolored teeth, cowering if touched on the jaw or snout, drooling, dropping food, bleeding from the gums, loss of appetite and loss of weight are some signs, Stepaniuk said.  Pets might also paw at their mouth and make exaggerated jaw movements when eating or drinking, he said.  “It hurts and it’s very smelly,” said veterinarian Edgardo Ortiz, Banfield’s medical director forNew YorkandNew Jersey. “When the pets are healthy, owners will kiss them. With severe tooth trouble, people don’t want to kiss their pets so they don’t get as much love.That’s reality.”

 Mario’s symptoms even included a squeaky meow, though it returned to normal after his surgery. Still, there are a few things the toothless cat can’t do, Roever said: “He has no teeth to pick things up with. We pile his canned food up into a mountain so it’s easier for him to eat.” She also buys extra-small kibble.  He will ignore furry toys and go for smooth, cloth-covered ones instead, she said. “I suspect the furry cloth feels funny on the gums.”

 Tooth decay can happen at any age, but is more likely in older pets and in smaller toy breeds.  “They eat more canned food and more will get stuck in their teeth,” Ortiz said. Larger dogs tend to eat more dry food, which scrapes the teeth, and helps remove tartar, he said.  “Ask yourself the question: ‘If you did not brush your teeth daily, what would happen?’ In a few days you would have significant plaque and within a few more, increased tartar,” Stepaniuk said.

 Owners are advised to take their pets to the vet twice a year for routine checkups and get their teeth cleaned once a year.  In a perfect world, Ortiz said pet owners would brush their dog’s or cat’s teeth twice a day, but twice a week will produce amazing results.  Add dental chews and a water additive that helps prevent tartar and pets should stay very kissable, Ortiz said.  Brushing an older pet’s teeth for the first time can prove challenging, the vets acknowledged, but it is easy to teach a puppy or kitten to learn to like it, Ortiz said.  “Start with your bare finger and rub it along their gums and teeth. Get them used to having something in their mouth.Then get a finger-sized toothbrush with small fibers that do not scrape the teeth,” he said.Toothpaste isn’t necessary to remove tartar, but once the pet is used to the brush, it can be added.

 Cats usually won’t sit still for too long, so it helps if the toothpaste is tuna or chicken-flavored, Ortiz said.  Stepaniuk warned not to give pets human toothpaste.  “If human toothpaste is swallowed, which pets will do, it is toxic (due to the high levels of fluoride) as well as a gastrointestinal irritant,” he said.  Any invasive dental work on pets — extractions, root canals, and any thorough exam involving instruments and X-rays — requires anesthesia, Stepaniuk said.There are no such things as dog dentures, he said, and implants and bridges are almost nonexistent, but some dogs — usually show dogs — do get braces.

 Pets do cope with the loss of teeth, Ortiz said, and their health and behavior typically improve once the pain is gone.  Veterinarians will try to save strategic teeth when possible. These include the canine teeth and carnassial teeth (the big chewing teeth), Stepaniuk said.  Other types of pets are also vulnerable to dental problems. Ferrets can get tooth decay just like dogs and cats. Rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas have continually growing cheek teeth and incisors; given the wrong diet, their teeth will overgrow and cause abscessed teeth, Stepaniuk said. Reptiles have teeth and without proper husbandry, they too can get severe infection and stomatitis.