Few things can negatively impact the health of a dog or cat like the pain, inflammation and infection associated with unchecked periodontal disease. Data suggests that an unhealthy mouth can negatively impact the health of a distant organ like the kidneys and the heart. Fortunately, periodontal inflammation is a disease that is both preventable and treatable.
The most important part to excellent dental health is home care. Daily brushing of the gums and teeth with your finger, a finger toothbrush, or best yet a soft toothbrush combined with an enzymatic toothpaste is the most effective tool in periodontal health. Combine brushing with a dog's natural tendency to chew on toys or rawhides,and you have a strong recipe for success. Five minutes per day chewing on an appropriate chew item will halt plaque from hardening into tartar and help condition the gums, thus preventing gingivitis (inflammation). Bones, antlers and hooves are too hard for most dogs and frequently result in chipped or broken teeth. I recommend offering large rawhides given under direct supervision (to prevent a dog from swallowing large pieces).
Although brushing and chewing are the foundation of good home care there are a myriad of products available to supplement these efforts. Oral rinses, water additives, and powders may assist with dental health, but are often never truly tested for effectiveness and sometimes not even safety tested. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) was created by veterinarian dental specialist to review product data to see if effectiveness claims had any validity. I recommend you choose products that either your veterinarian has recommended or that carry the VOHC seal.
Even with the best home care, eventually gingivitis and periodontal disease will rear their ugly heads. Your veterinarian can identify when this is beginning to happen during your pet's annual exam, or, in the case of elderly dogs, twice yearly exams. Some pets need full dental cleaning/prophylaxis under anesthesia every year, while others can go many years with home care alone. Your veterinarian will help you determine your pet's specific needs.
Anesthetic based dental prophylaxis versus non-anesthetic cleaning…now the controversy begins! Virtually all the board certified veterinary dentists in the United States are in agreement that non-anesthetic cleaning cannot accomplish their intended health goals and are at best cosmetic, and at worst, detrimental. It is almost impossible to clean and examine the insides of the back teeth unless a cat or dog's mouth remains fully open without movement for the full hour or so it takes to adequately clean, polish and examine both the visible aspects of the tooth and the tooth under the gum line where most of the disease causing abnormalities and inflammation will be found. Also, it is impossible to x-ray teeth when awake and if a tooth is diseased, it is likely to be painful to the dog if probed or curetted while awake. At our practice, we frequently have to address pathology that was missed or aggravated by non-professional, non-anesthetic cleanings done elsewhere, shortly after those "cleanings" have been performed.
Anesthesia in this day and age is very gentle and very safe. We use multiple methods to monitor animal health during anesthesia (ECG, blood pressure, carbon dioxide levels, oxygen levels, etc.). The newer anesthetic agents we now use are the same as used in human anesthesia and allow us to safely anesthetize even compromised patients. Licensed technicians and veterinarians have extensive training and ongoing education in safe anesthetic techniques. When the rare risk of anesthesia is weighed against the risk of not adequately treating periodontal disease, there simply is no rational reason to avoid a complete dental prophylaxis treatment under anesthesia.
By utilizing all the tools available: tooth brushing, appropriate regular chew items, VOHC approved dental health aids and complete dental prophylaxis under anesthesia, your cat or dog will be able to enjoy a healthy, non-painful mouth over a long lifetime.
For a view from a veterinarian that once participated in non-anesthetic dentals but then realized their limitations, please see www.youtube.com/user/SeattleVeterinary/videos.
Stuart Spencer, DVM
Dr. Spencer earned his degree from the University of California, Davis. He received a B.S. in Animal Science with a minor in Range Management from Cal Poly San Luisobispo."I have a special interest in well patient care, geriatrics, internal medicine, endoscopy and laser surgery."
He has two dogs, one of which "has a talent for challenging all of my medical abilities with his many chronic illnesses." Dr. Spencer has a strong interest in international development and resource management. Away from the office, he spends time fly-fishing, sea kayaking, mountain biking, soapstone carving, snow skiing, and snowshoeing.
