Oral & Dental Care
Your Pet's Oral Health
Dentistry is dedicated to the maintenance of sound oral health and treatment for diseases of the animal's mouth, teeth and jaw. Dogwood Veterinary Hospital & Pet Resort offers full dental care including cleanings, periodontitis treatments, and extractions. With the use of diagnostic tests, such as radiographs, the 70% of the tooth that cannot be seen by the naked eye can be evaluated. Oral tumors, jaw fractures, root abscesses and root fractures may be corrected to restore normal function.
Periodontal disease, or gum disease, is inflammation of the tissue around the teeth. It affects about 80% of dogs and 70% of cats over 3 years of age! Signs of periodontal disease include bad breath, red or swollen gums, a yellow-brown crust near the gum line, loose or missing teeth, discomfort when the mouth or gums are touched and possible decreased appetite or weight loss due to difficulty chewing. The inflammation associated with oral disease may damage the heart, liver, kidneys and lead to other serious ailments.
Oral disease is classified by the severity of the condition into stage 1 through 4.
- Stage 1 is known as Gingivitis. Gum tissue around the teeth can become inflamed and swollen. Plaque, tartar and calculus (bacteria combined with food) are usually present on the teeth. This is a reversible stage of oral disease.
- Stage 2 is Mild Periodontitis and refers to inflammation which has progressed to an infection that starts to destroy gum and bone tissue around the teeth. Bad breath (halitosis) is often noticeable and your pet may be experiencing some discomfort. This is sometimes an irreversible stage of oral disease.
- Stage 3 is Moderate Periodontitis where infection has destroyed more tissue around the teeth, often causing bleeding of the gums and loosening of teeth. Halitosis may be strong and discomfort and pain can affect eating habits and behavior. This is often irreversible.
- Stage 4 is Severe Periodontitis and involves extensive infection tearing down even more of the attachment tissues (gum and bone). Blood and pus are usually evident and the affected teeth must be extracted.
A Case Study in Oral Disease
Brandy is a 14 year old Schnauzer Mix, with stage 4 periodontal disease and kidney disease. Brandy was not eating well and had halitosis and bleeding gums. She came to us for a dental assessment and treatment. Once anesthetized, she was placed on anesthetic monitoring equipment and padded warm water circulating blankets. Brandy had full oral mouth radiographs (similar to bitewing radiographs at a human dentist) taken by a registered veterinary technician. Below are some pictures and radiographs of Brandy.
Picture shows excess calculus, gum recession and pus along the gumline.
Intraoral radiographs with gum loss. The dark rings around each tooth root are abscesses.
After the veterinarian evaluated Brandy's teeth, the registered veterinary technician placed local blocks on the affected teeth (similar to Novocain). Then the doctor performed oral surgery to extract the affected teeth. Brandy's dental disease was so severe that she had only 8 teeth left after the oral surgery! She awoke from anesthesia uneventfully and was sent home with oral pain medicine and antibiotics. Today she is completely healed from the procedure and is able to eat and play without pain! Her owner has reported that she now eats more than she was able to eat before the procedure.
To prevent a procedure like Brandy's it's best to start your pet on an oral health regimen of teeth brushing and oral care products early in life! Ask one of Dogwood Veterinary Hospital & Pet Resort's staff to help you provide your pet the best oral care possible. If your pet already has dental disease, please speak to a staff member to schedule a dental assessment and treatment. No pet should have to live with constant oral pain.
Tim Snarski, RVT, Dogwood Veterinary Hospital & Pet Resort