Dental health is a very important, often overlooked area of your pet’s overall health. Your pets teeth should be checked yearly by your veterinarian to ensure we are preventing the build up of bacteria on the teeth which creates a film called plaque. Plaque then hardens into tartar both above and below the gumline. Tartar below the gumline is damaging and sets the stage for infection, abscesses, and damage to the bone; this is known as periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is the most common dental condition of dogs and cats. By the time your pet is 2-3 years old, he or she will have evidence of periodontal disease which is graded on a scale of stage 0 to stage 4. This will only worsen as your pet continues to age if preventative measures are not taken. Early detection and treatment are critical, because advanced periodontal disease can cause severe problems and pain for your pet. It also does not just affect your pet’s mouth either, the bacteria that like the teeth also like the liver, kidneys, and heart and can cause systemic infections.
The treatment of periodontal disease involves a thorough dental cleaning under general anesthesia after full mouth dental radiographs are performed to decide which teeth are healthy and if there are any extractions that are necessary. Radiographs are extremely important because 50% of the tooth lies below the gumline, so we are unable to see periodontal disease below the gumline without the x-rays. Your pet will have extractions performed if necessary and all teeth scaled above and below the gumline, polished and fluoride treatment will be applied at the end of the procedure.
If your pet has brown/yellow teeth, bad breath, or is having difficulty eating, these could all be signs of dental disease. Please call us at (234) 400-PETS today to learn more and schedule your pet’s dental cleaning.