| DENTAL CARE |
Canine Dental Care
By Peter Emily, DDS, AVDC
Keeping teeth and gums clean is an important part of your dog's overall health. Dental
home care and veterinary dental cleaning is essential for all dogs, especially for
smaller dogs. In smaller dogs, the bone that holds the teeth is thinner so gum disease
can be more of a problem.
Common Canine Dental Problems
Gum disease is very common in dogs. Many dogs over the age of 2 or 3 have either
gingivitis or periodontitis.
Periodontitis, or periodontal disease, is the most common dental problem for dogs. It
is caused by plaque, a mixture of bacteria, food debris, and cell mucus. It forms a
milky-white film on the teeth and gums. As plaque gets into pockets under the
gumline, bacteria eats away at the bone that holds the teeth (called resorption of the
bone). When mixed with saliva in the mouth, plaque turns into tartar, which can stick
to the teeth like cement.
Gingivitis, or gum disease, is an inflammation of the gum tissue.
It does not affect the deeper structures of the teeth. Without treatment, gingivitis can
lead to periodontitis, bone loss, loosening of the teeth, and eventually loss of teeth.
Tooth fractures. The second biggest problem for dogs and their teeth is that hard
chews can break the teeth, leading to infection inside the tooth (called endodontic
disease). Dogs can break their teeth surprisingly easily, just from crunching down on
hard rocks, cow hooves, and other tough substances.
Many dogs are inclined to chew on hard things to exercise their gums. But the teeth
used to chew are extremely vulnerable to fracture. Dogs chew in an up and down
motion, which causes the object to slide off to the side of the tooth and may break it.
This exposes the pulp tissue inside the tooth.
Preventing dog dental problems
You can prevent periodontal disease by eliminating plaque before it becomes tartar.
The best way to do this is through the mechanical action of brushing your dog's
teeth. This reduces the amount of bacteria in the mouth, which also has the added
benefit of keeping your dog's breath smelling sweeter. Try to brush your dog's teeth
every day.
Toothpaste. Brush your dog's teeth with toothpaste made for dogs. People toothpaste
is designed for people to spit out. Dogs can't do that, so you need to use one that's
safe for the dog to swallow.
Toothbrush. Introducing a toothbrush is a process of building confidence and trust.
Gentle encouragement works best. One way of getting your dog used to a toothbrush
is to take some garlic salt, mix it with water, and dip an old toothbrush into it. Hold
the brush, and let your dog lick or chew the brush. The dog will realize that a
toothbrush is good and that it tastes good. You can do this a few times so the dog
won't be scared of the brushing process, and will let you brush daily.
Dogs' teeth touch only in one or two places, and their teeth are narrow. A toothbrush
reaches 90% of the area that needs to be cleaned. The toothbrush doesn't always
reach the teeth that are farthest back in the dog's mouth, but this is not the most
important area. Chewing on a cotton rope bone can help clean those back teeth.
Finger brush. Instead of using a toothbrush, you can use a finger brush. A toothbrush
is better, but a finger brush is a good alternative. It fits onto your fingertip and lets
you brush your dog's teeth almost without your dog knowing it. The drawback of
using a finger brush is that the bristles are a bit too large to get under the margin of
the gumline as effectively as a regular toothbrush.
Professional cleaning. Another important part of making sure that your dog's teeth
and gums are clean is to have the teeth professionally cleaned by your veterinarian. A
veterinarian will anesthetize your dog, scrape all of the plaque buildup from above and
below the gumline, and then polish the teeth.
Home checkup. Get in the habit of looking in your dog's mouth to check for broken
or cracked teeth. Look especially closely at the very large forth tooth, counting back
from the fang (not counting the fang). If that tooth doesn't have a sharp point, look
inside and see if it's rough. If you can see pulp tissue, the tooth can become infected,
develop a big abscess, and even some swelling under the eyes. Contact a veterinary
dentist as soon as possible.
Home safety. Don't let your dog chew on rocks, bones, cow hooves, or hard nylon
or ceramic bones. Safer chewing toys are those made of rubber, soft rope bones, or
bones that are soft enough to provide the necessary chewing exercise without the
possibility of breaking teeth. Rawhide may be safe for chewing, but as it softens
pieces can break off and if inhaled, may cause your dog to suffocate. If swallowed,
rawhide can cause an intestinal blockage.
Mouthwash. There are two sprays on the market that work very well to help kill
bacteria in the mouth and may actually heal damaged gum tissue. Ask your
veterinarian about these products.
Other points
Food. Dry dog food helps keep the plaque level down. However, it helps only in the
area that's visible, not in the important area just below the gumline. Dog biscuits can
also reduce tartar, but again, only above the gumline. Brushing your dog's teeth does
the best job of cleaning the important area below the gumline, where bacteria and
plaque hide and can rot away the gums and bone.
Plaque. 80 percent of plaque is bacteria. Four hundred different strains of bacteria
have been found in the mouths of animals. Some strains of bacteria produce odor,
while others cause gum disease. Bacteria is a direct result of plaque. To eliminate the
odor of your dog's breath, you must eliminate the plaque.
Dogs generally form most plaque on the outside of their teeth, but they occasionally
form plaque on inside surfaces of the mouth. Daily brushing works to get rid of
plaque on the outside surfaces of the mouth. However, to eliminate the plaque from
the inside surfaces of the mouth, go to your veterinarian periodically to have your
dog's teeth cleaned professionally. Ask your veterinarian about products that you can
use at home to prevent bacteria. To avoid the buildup of plaque, you must still try to
brush your dog's teeth daily.