Winter 2001

Dental Health 

June is Dental Health month at GVH

Does your dog have smelly breath? Could your cat sour milk with the fetid odour coming from its mouth?

If you answered yes, then your pet has a problem: it is called PERIODONTAL disease. Periodontal disease is disease of the supporting tissue of the teeth - the gums and the ligaments holding the teeth in place. 95% of animals older than 2 years of age suffer from it.

The cause of periodontal disease is PLAQUE - a soft, thick slimy layer made up of bacteria, sugars and salivary proteins. How does plaque form? Saliva lubricates the mouth though it also attracts bacteria to stick to the teeth and gums. The mouth is warm, moist and excellent place for bacteria and plaque to grow. Plaque can be removed by brushing, but if it is not, it mineralises forming CALCULUS, a yellow-brown hard coating. Look at your animals’ upper cheek teeth - can you see it?

CALCULUS irritates the gums (gingiva) and teeth. The attachments holding teeth to gum become inflamed and weakened. This leads to the development of pockets under the gum that trap food, which ROTS in the mouth causing REALLY BAD BREATH! Animals then spread these nasty germs over their coat when they groom which transfer to your hands when you touch them.

So PERIDONTAL DISEASE can be very, very bad.

What does a dental achieve?

Dentistry removes the calculus and the plaque occurring on the tooth both below and above the gum line. This significantly changes the bacterial population in the mouth from BAD to GOOD bacteria. A DENTAL involves a quick general anaesthetic, then scraping off the plaque using ultrasound, before polishing the teeth. Depending on the degree of rot in the mouth, some teeth may need to be removed. While this may sound drastic, adult dogs have 42 teeth and adult cats have 34, so even if they lose a few, there are mostly plenty left for chewing with.

JUNE is DENTAL HEALTH MONTH at GVH.

We are encouraging you have a good think about the state of your pooch’s fangs; and reflect on the consequences of poor oral hygiene in some of our closest companions. During JUNE any pet that has a dental at GVH will receive a free box of Enzymatic Oral Health Care Chews, Tootpaste and Finger Brush Kit. If you have been putting that dental off, now is the time to restore your pet’s pearly whites. For more information, ask our staff.