Dog Dental Care

Dog Dental Care is an important part of everyday dog grooming.

Dog teeth brushing is as important as brushing your teeth or your childs teeth. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates that by age 3, 80 percent of dogs show signs of oral disease.

Most dogs don’t get cavities, but gum disease, which causes bad breath and tooth loss. Bad teeth can trigger serious, even life threatening, health problems in your dog, including heart, kidney, liver, and joint disease. A study of health records of 59,296 dogs showed that dogs with gum disease had more heart problems. Daily cleaning will ensure your pet stays healthy.

Jan Bellow, DVM, a Diplomat of both the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and the American Veterinary Dental College, recommends using the easiest method possible. So Bellow uses wipes, especially those containing the plaque-fighting chemical chlorhexidine gluconate, which destroys the bacteria that cause gum disease.

Brushing your dogs teeth with wipes takes just a few seconds. For uncooperative pets and for additional protection, there are chews, washes, and diets designed, for dog dental care. Gels that contain sodium hexameta phosphate are particularly effective.

As with other sensitive grooming tasks it is easier if you (the owner) start out with a young puppy. You can get the puppy accustomed to brushing by gently running a finger with veterinary toothpaste over her teeth, then rewarding her.

This same technique may also work on older dogs. If you do use a toothbrush instead of a wipe, brush each tooth with a gentle, circular motion and don’t apply too much pressure on the gums. You want to stimulate the gums but not damage them.

Use a toothbrush designed for dogs, as well as a veterinary toothpaste, which come in flavors, like chicken and peanut butter. Brush for as long as they will let you.

Deciduous and Adult Teeth

Definitions

Calculus or Tartar:

Hard deposits, often stained yellow or brown, that form on teeth due to inadequate plaque control.

Gingiva:

Soft tissue surrounding the teeth

Gingivitis:

Inflamed, swollen, and reddish gum tissue that may bleed easily when touched or brushed.

Periodontitis:

Advanced gum disease in which the inner layer of the gum and bone pull away from the teeth and form pockets and alveolar, or supporting, bone is destroyed. Untreated, it will lead to tooth loss.

Plaque:

A film composed of food particles mixed with salvia and bacteria that constantly forms on the teeth. It is a key factor in the development of dental disease.

Tips to Freshen Your Dogs Breah

Add natural dental chews and bones to your oral health program. Raw, meaty bones help break off tarter and have an abrasive action on the dog's teeth. Cooked bones can be dangerous, but raw bones are much safer and better able to pass through the intestinal tract.

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