Dear Spring Oaks’ Family,
February is National Pet Dental Health Month.
Did you know our four legged companions accumulate plaque and dental calculus 5 times faster than people? Most dogs and cats have gum disease by the time they are 3 years old. The inflammation in the gums (called gingivitis) causes pain and the bacteria found in the tartar can invade the bloodstream affecting the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Think about how often your pet uses their teeth. Not only do they chew their food, but use their teeth to pick up objects, scratch themselves, and for behavioral displays. With dental disease the structures that keep the teeth attached to the underlying tissue are damaged and the teeth can be lost.
We can prevent the detrimental effects of dental disease with a combination of regular professional dental cleanings and home dental care.
Professional Dental Cleanings
When your pet comes to our office for a professional dental cleaning we first perform a physical examination to make sure we feel your pet can go under anesthesia. We then test your pet’s blood for evidence of liver disease, kidney disease, protein levels, blood glucose, and red blood cell level to make sure there is nothing systemically that would complicate anesthesia. For most older pets we require an intravenous catheter to be placed and IV fluids to be given during the procedure to allow us to give life saving medications if complications occur and to support blood pressure during anesthesia. For younger pets this is usually optional but highly recommended.
Once your pet is under anesthesia we closely monitor the heart rate, level of oxygen in the blood, respiratory rate, and gum color. We do this through a combination of using a machine called a pulse oximeter and technician monitoring.
We then use an ultrasonic scalar to remove the plaque and calculus build up on the teeth and under the gum line. We use a dental explorer to look for deep pockets in the gum around the teeth indicating loss of attachment of the tooth and infection. We examine the mouth thoroughly for any masses. We extract any teeth that show a loss of attachment, are broken with pulp exposure, or in the case of our feline patients have Feline Odotoclastic Resorptive Lesions. The teeth are then polished and a fluoride treatment applied. All pets receive an antibiotic injection and if teeth are extracted a pain injection as well.
With rare exceptions, most pets go home the same afternoon following the dental cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my pet have to be anesthetized for the dental cleaning? Unlike you and I, most pets will not allow us to do a thorough job cleaning the teeth awake. With the pet under anesthesia, they are much more comfortable with scaling under the gum line and probing all the teeth and gums to check for pockets.
My pet will let me hand scale their teeth at home isn’t this enough? When we scale the teeth we create microscopic scratches in the enamel of the teeth. If these are not polished out then the dental tartar will come back quicker and worse than before because the microscopic scratches provide places for the plaque to adhere.
Isn’t my pet too old to be put under anesthesia? The purpose of doing a complete physical examination and pre-anesthetic blood work is to help us determine if there is a health condition that will prevent or complicate anesthesia. Old age itself does not preclude a pet from having dental care. If your pet has a heart murmur we will often require a pre-anesthetic electrocardiogram and chest radiographs prior to anesthesia to assess the risk of doing so.
Why do you have to extract teeth instead of filling them? Unlike you and I, pets very rarely have cavities in the teeth. They do not eat as much sugar in their diet as we do. Most of the time when we are extracting teeth it is due to a loss of attachment to the underlying structures. Once this attachment is lost we can not get it back and the tooth will eventually be lost as well. The roots of the tooth often have infection below the gum line which causes pain. Extracting the tooth relieves the pain and keeps infection from reoccurring.
Home Dental Care
Brushing is the best way to prevent dental disease. Most pets will accept tooth brushing if introduced gradually. Choose a pet toothpaste your pet likes (Do not use human toothpaste). Several flavors of pet toothpaste are available. For several days offer the toothpaste on your finger as a treat. Once your pet accepts the toothpaste put some on your finger and use it to massage the outside of your pet’s teeth and gums. After several days of doing this you may introduce a fingerbrush or toothbrush. Brushing daily is best but if you can not do this brush at least twice a week.
Certain treats and specially formulated foods can help prevent dental disease. At Spring Oaks we carry both the C.E.T. Chews and Greenie treats. We also recommend C.E.T. Aquadent water additive to help with bad breath.
In addition, our groomer Cassie offers a plaque and fluoride treatment which consists of a chlorhexidine mouth rinse and fluoride application. This is not a substitute for regular dental cleanings and home care but can help augment your pet’s dental care program.
For additional dental care treats and food recommendations go to the Veterinary Oral Health Council web site www.vohc.org.
We look forward to partnering with you to keep your pet’s oral health as good as it can be. If you have questions on whether it is time to have your pet’s teeth cleaned, schedule an appointment with myself or Dr. Alshouse for a nose to toes physical including an oral health exam.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jim Jackson
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