Regular pet teeth cleaning at home – just a few minutes a day – can improve your pet’s health, improve that bad dog breath, make them more comfortable, saving you money on treatment. So…how do I care for my pet’s teeth?Periodontal disease is caused by plaque bacteria that accumulate on the teeth, causing inflammation, infection and damage to the sensitive oral tissues. Home care programs are usually targeted at slowing down plaque accumulation, thus slowing down disease progression.
Methods that may be recommended include those that physically remove plaque (such as brushing teeth or dog chews) or kill plaque bacteria (chemical rinses, gels or water additives). A combination of these methods is most effective and there are a variety of options available. Most pets can have a program designed that suits their individual needs and behaviour and fitting in with your own lifestyle. Click here for more information on some of the options available.
Since plaque starts to form immediately after brushing teeth, there is no home care method that will prevent plaque and tartar from forming altogether – even humans who brush their teeth twice a day get some buildup of plaque and tartar which needs to be removed by scaling and polishing. Home care does not replace the need for regular dental examinations and professional cleaning, but it will increase the time period between treatments and reduce the number of tooth extractions required in the future.
Before commencing a home care program, it is recommended that you ask your vet to check for any existing oral problems so these can be addressed up front. This makes home care more effective, and gives you peace of mind that you are not causing more discomfort if your pet has any painful or sensitive areas.
Once your pet has a healthy and pain free mouth again eg after a professional teeth clean (scale and polish), the home care program can be initiated.
Any questions about pet teeth cleaning we will happily answer – just comment below.
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A cat that has recently recieved a dental clean and polish appeared to have marked enamel wear. there were no obvious lesions and post-dental the gums and teeth looked great. However the cat is still slow to eat its food especially on colder mornings. just wondering do cats get sensitive teeth and is there anything e;lse we can do for this old boy?
Hi Tamsin,
Good question. Severe enamel wear is less common in cats than dogs, as they are a bit more discriminate in their chewing habits (or fussy, depending how you view it!). Aside from heavy chewing, enamel can be worn if it is abnormally formed (such as enamel hypoplasia which occurs while the teeth are developing in young pups or kittens), or if there are orthodontic issues where the teeth wear against each other.
Whatever the cause, exposed dentine can be very sensitive. In humans it gives that painful reaction to cold, heat, sweetness and rapid air flow (such as when the dentist blows on your teeth with his dental machine). This is due to the exposure of the dentinal tubules which are normally protected by enamel. In some cases the tubules might get sealed if the cells inside the tooth get irritated. If not, the other option is to seal the dentine with a special type of restorative (filling material).
The other major thing to check carefully for is the presence of early tooth resorption at or near the gumline, as these can be intensely sensitive. Dental radiographs and probing will help identify such lesions. Application of fluoride may help as well, however you need to be careful with the amount applied as cats can ingest this (they don’t know how to rinse and spit) and get ill.
Hope this helps!
Christine