Dental Disease

Take your pet’s bad breath seriously! A pet’s bad breath may be more serious than just an unpleasant problem. Bad breath may be a sign of bacteria attacking your pet’s teeth and gums. It may indicate periodontal disease, one of the most common conditions affecting dogs and cats. 80% of all dogs, older than 3 years of age, have some form of dental disease!

All pets are at risk for developing dental problems. Once your pet displays any of the warning signs below, serious periodontal disease may be present:

  • Bad breath
  • Yellow-brown crust on teeth
  • Bleeding gums
  • Change of chewing or eating habits
  • Tooth loss
  • Change in behavior
  • Abnormal drooling

Different individual cats and dogs show different amounts of tartar and calculus buildup, and varying degrees of gum disease depending on the type of diet, chewing habits, breeding, heredity and occlusion (the way the teeth interlock and meet in the mouth). Without daily home dental care, the average cat or dog needs to have the first professional dental cleaning between the ages of 4-6 years old. Dental cleaning and thorough oral examination should be completed every 1-2 years as the pet ages.

Common Dental Problems

Retained deciduous teeth (baby teeth)

Usually affecting the canine teeth (or fangs), these are considered retained if both the permanent (adult) teeth and the baby teeth occupy the same location in the mouth at the same time. If the baby teeth do not fall out, by the time the permanent teeth are fully erupted, they should be extracted to avoid crowding of other teeth, and excessive calculus buildup which leads to gum disease. This problem is far more common in dogs than in cats and is typically taken care of at the time of the pet’s spay or neuter surgery.

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions

Also known as resorptive lesions, “neck lesions”, or FORLs, the exact cause for this cavity-like disease is not known. The tooth is dissolved away at or just below the gumline and eventually the entire crown (visible part of the tooth) will be lost. During this process the tooth often becomes painful as the pulp chamber and nerve of the tooth is exposed. Often affected teeth must be extracted, but more superficial lesions may be slowed with the daily use of antiseptic gel. Dogs are not affected by these types of cavities.

Fractured teeth

Depending on the age and severity of the fracture, endodontic techniques (root canal, pulp capping) may be an option available at local veterinary dental specialty clinics in the Portland-Metro area. More often, severely fractured teeth are extracted. No fractured tooth should be ignored, the tooth will eventually become infected and very painful for the pet.

Worn teeth

Unlike fractured teeth, tooth wear often occurs over an extended period of time. Although the crown of the tooth may be very worn down, (some almost at the gumline) these teeth are not typically sensitive or painful. Gentle dental probing during a veterinary office visit will often determine whether further treatment is needed.

Gingivitis

Inflammation of the gums is termed gingivitis. This gum disease is caused by bacteria harbored in tartar and calculus on the teeth. The bacteria eventually cause irritation and inflammation which leads to infection.

As gingivitis progresses, the gums become swollen and very inflamed, even ulcerated. This causes discomfort, which may be indicated by pain in chewing, or a decreased appetite. An early indication of gingivitis is bad breath.

Periodontal disease

Excessive dental calculus and gingivitis left untreated leads to periodontal disease, in which there is actual loss of the bone surrounding each tooth. Early bone loss may only be visible on a dental x-ray, but will eventually manifest as a loose tooth. This bone loss is not reversible. Periodontal disease may be mild to severe. Mild bone loss is found during oral examination and dental charting with a dental probe during professional cleaning. More severe disease may be easily seen as pus like discharge around the teeth and gums.

Peridontitis

The end stage of peridontal disease, this is indicated by severe gingivitis, swollen gums, pus around the teeth and on the dental calculus. At this stage there is infection, gum detachment, bone loss, and tooth loss. The dangers of periodontal disease go beyond bad breath and lost teeth. Left untreated, periodontal disease may cause changes in your pet’s kidneys, heart and liver. Consequently, proper oral health care, including treatment and prevention is important for the optimum health and quality of life for your dog or cat.

There are four recognized stages of periodontal disease. Check for signs of periodontal disease in your pet’s mouth. The earlier treatment begins, the better the chance is of minimizing damage.

Stage I – Beginning Periodontal Disease

  • Plague and/or calculus on teeth
  • Red and swollen gums with no teeth attachment loss
  • Cleaning and prevention at this stage may save teeth

Stage II – Early Periodontal Disease

  • Plague and calculus on teeth
  • Red and swollen gums, bad breath
  • Loss of tooth attachment up to 25%
  • Potentially reversible with treatment

Stage III – Moderate Periodontal Disease

  • Plague and calculus on teeth
  • Bleeding gums, sore mouth, bad breath
  • Loss of tooth attachment between 25-50%
  • Permanent damage

Stage IV – Severe Periodontal Disease

  • Severe gingivitis with bleeding gums, pus, bad breath
  • Loss of tooth attachment greater than 50%
  • Loose teeth
  • Permanent damage

What is done during a Veterinary Dental Cleaning?

Your pet has received a dental examination and had a Wellness Profile blood draw (see LVH Recommendations) prior to the anesthetic procedure. A dental cleaning appointment is scheduled for a week day morning. Your pet is brought to the hospital between 7:30am and 8:00am the day of the procedure after with holding food the night before after 8pm. (Water consumption is allowed until the morning of the procedure). A veterinary technician will discuss the procedure with you, have you sign the appropriate paperwork and answer any questions you may have at that time.

After the pre-anesthesia exam is performed by the veterinarian, your pet will be anesthetized and intubated. The intubation with an endotracheal tube is done to protect the lungs from aerosolized bacteria and to maintain the anesthesia while the dental procedure is completed. First the mouth is rinsed well with an antiseptic to reduce bacterial activity. The teeth are then scaled using an ultrasonic scaler to remove tartar and calculus buildup. If buildup is found below the gumline, it is removed carefully with appropriate instruments. The mouth is then checked for signs of gum disease, and the teeth are "charted" according to any periodontal pockets (areas around the teeth with loss of gum attachment and/or bone loss), loose teeth, chipped, fractured or worn teeth, or FORLs found. If indicated, we may take x-rays of teeth to determine the extent of any disease found. Some teeth may need to be extracted from the mouth to reduce pain or crowding of other teeth, or to treat an infected tooth.

After all the teeth are evaluated, they are polished, and a fluoride treatment is completed. We will also apply an in-clinic application of OraVet barrier sealant to protect cleaned teeth. OraVet helps protect teeth and gums from plaque and calculus buildup due to bacteria. After the dental cleaning you will begin the weekly at-home applications of OraVet Plague Prevention Gel to your pet’s teeth and gum line. Also, we may recommend follow-up home care (brushing), (see LVH Recommendations Dental Care) and sometimes an oral antibiotic medication, or a temporary dietary change is needed. Your veterinarian will discuss any additional therapy needed with you and answer any questions you may have.