Keep Your Pet Smiling: The Importance of Dental Health.
Author: Kevin Ballard, DVM
February’s pet dental health month is just a couple of weeks away! Why is this important? The longer I practice veterinary medicine, the more I find that dental health is an integral and even pivotal part of our patient’s overall well-being. It doesn’t matter if that patient is a cat, dog, horse, or other species. Without good dentition, it is difficult to obtain good nutrition. Poor dental health in animals can lead to significant discomfort, pain while eating, tooth loss, gum disease, bad breath, and even more serious systemic health issues like heart disease, kidney disease, and liver problems, as bacteria from infected gums can enter the bloodstream and affect vital organs.
Our goal as part of your preventive care team is to reduce the impact of dental disease by helping you recognize early signs and take preventive measures. Many pet parents wait too long until the patient is in a stage of significant disease, leading to increased pain, more extractions, and increased costs. We highly recommend routine preventive cleanings to avoid extensive treatments and maintain a better quality of life.
Keep an eye on your pet’s dental health by watching for bad breath, which can signal issues before they’re visible. Regularly check all surfaces of their teeth; early detection and simple course correction in management can dramatically change the outcome and save you from more serious problems like extractions. Dental chews can help, but choose ones that aren’t too hard to avoid breaking teeth and ensure they’re digestible to prevent choking. Water additives, designed to slow and prevent buildup on the teeth, are another preventative measure. Always provide fresh, untreated water to maintain hydration for patients who choose not to participate in your preventative measures. 😊
Of course, the gold standard of prevention is brushing. So many say, “I can’t do that”. Well, for some, that may be true, but the majority of patients are teachable/trainable if persistence and patience are used. Reward your patients following a session of brushing. Start simple, look in the mouth regularly. Then feel around, then introduce brushes, toothpaste, etc. The hardest part generally is training ourselves to be consistent in our efforts. I promise you that your efforts will be rewarded greatly with the improved health of your pets as well as reduced expenses from your pocketbook.
Having said all that, there are definitely times when a full comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment (COHAT) is needed. Because we have to anesthetize them for this, many are apprehensive, and we understand that. We do all that we can to minimize the risk to our patients with pre-anesthetic exams, bloodwork and other screenings as needed. We also utilize extensive monitoring of vitals, blood pressure, oxygen, CO2, etc., as part of our protocols to tailor each experience to the needs of the individual.
In conclusion, I would encourage all to take preventative measures as able and when in doubt let us check it out and help coach you on prevention as well as determine the need and timing of your patient’s next COHAT.
