Preventing Dental Disease

Dental disease is one of the most common conditions which affects middle aged and elderly dogs. However the problems start much earlier than that and simple measures taken when the dog is young can prevent suffering later.

Dental calculus or tartar (above) is composed of mineral salts, organic material, trapped food particles and bacteria. In the early stages the material is soft (plaque) but later it hardens and adheres firmly to the teeth. This leads to inflammation and pain in the gums. Eventually the gums recede and the teeth loosen. The breath becomes very smelly and the mouth is painful and a dangerous source of infection.

Not only are affected dogs in considerable pain but they are constantly swallowing bacteria from their mouth, which can cause stomach and other digestive upsets. Bacteria can also enter the blood stream and cause damage to the valves of the heart. These are real and serious risks to the general health and well being of your pet, so signs of dental disease should never be ignored.

Do some dogs need extra care?

Yes. Short nosed dogs, whose teeth do not meet very well, tend to build up tartar more easily. They also suffer more if their teeth are bad – they are snuffly at the best of times and this is aggravated by the sinus congestion which often accompanies bad teeth. Small dogs in general tend to have more problems than larger ones. This is partly genetic but also related to diet – they are less likely to be given hard food regularly. Any dog who is fed nothing but soft food and not given regular opportunities for a good chew will have poor dental health.

Watch out for those baby teeth!

Not everyone knows that, like humans, dogs have baby teeth. They begin to lose them at about 10 weeks and will have all their adult teeth by about 16-24 weeks of age. You may not see the lost teeth which are usually swallowed. Sometimes puppies do not shed their baby canine teeth (the large pointy ones) as the adult ones emerge. This can cause damage to the roots of the permanent tooth. If your puppy seems to have too many canine teeth, let us know – it is a simple job to remove them.

Please Note

We will check your dogs teeth thoroughly at his or her annual health check and advise if any treatment is needed.

Preventative measures

Feed hard foods regularly Provide rawhide, hard rubber or nylon chews or hard treat food (e.g. RasksĀ®). Remember  treat foods contain calories so reduce the dogs meal size accordingly.It is a good idea to brush your dogs teeth. This can be very useful if done regularly. Use a special dog toothpaste, these are available in beef and other flavours! Human toothpaste is not designed to be swallowed and should not be used. Please contact us or your own vet as the correct technique needs to be learned. There is also a lot of information here for those who want to know more.Regular scaling and polishing done by us, just as your dentist recommends for you, can be a most effective way to maintain good dental health.