Smiles all around, for February is National Pet Dental Healthy Month! It's time to lift that lip, or has your pet had some bad breath for quite some time? Now is the time to deal with it. During the month of February, you will receive 10% off the dental cleaning. Wow! Don't delay, phone our office today.
Dental disease is a HUGE deal.
Periodontal (gum) disease is the number one diagnosed problem in dogs
and cats. By the age of just two, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some
form of periodontal disease. In addition, 10% of dogs have a broken
tooth with pulp (nerve or root canal) exposure. This is extremely
painful until the nerve dies, at which point the tooth becomes infected!
Infectious oral diseases affecting the gums and root canals create
systemic bacteremia (bacteria in the blood stream, which can infect
other parts of the body). Periodontal inflammation and infection have
been linked to numerous problems including heart attacks, strokes,
kidney disease, emphysema, liver disease, osteoporosis, pregnancy
problems and diabetes. Therefore, oral infectious diseases are known as
"the silent killer."
In addition to systemic effects, oral disease can also cause
inflammation to the eye, resulting in blindness. Furthermore, jaw bone
loss from chronic infection can lead to a jaw fracture known as a
pathologic fracture, and these have a very hard time healing. Finally,
infectious oral disease can result in osteomyelitis (an area of dead,
infected bone), nasal infections and an increased risk of oral cancer.
Speaking of oral cancer, the oral cavity is the fourth most common place
for cancer. Unfortunately, by the time that most are discovered, they
are too advanced for therapy. Early treatment is necessary for cure.
That's why you, the pet owner, need to check your pet for oral growths
on a regular basis. Anything suspicious should be shown to your
veterinarian promptly.
In cats, a very common problem is feline tooth resorption
lesions, which are caused by normal cells called odontoclasts eating
away at the cat's own teeth. Approximately half of cats over 6 years of
age have at least one. They are similar to cavities in that once they
are advanced, they are VERY painful and can become infected. They are
first seen as small red areas along the gumline.
Other oral problems include bacterial cavities, painful
orthodontic problems, dead teeth (which are commonly discolored), and
worn teeth. Almost every pet has some form of painful or infectious oral
disease that needs treatment. Unfortunately, there are few to no
obvious clinical signs. (See below, What are the warning signs of
periodontal disease?) Therefore, be proactive and ask your veterinarian
for a complete oral exam, and perform regular monitoring at home.
The first step is to place the patient under general anesthesia. Anesthesia-free dentistry is NOT recommended (see below, Why does a dental cleaning have to be done under anesthesia?),
and is even illegal in some states. Don't be fooled by "sedation"
dentistry. In my opinion, sedation dentistry is more dangerous than
general anesthesia for two main reasons. First, in sedation dentistry
(or any other anesthesia-free dentistry), the trachea (windpipe), and
therefore the lungs, are not protected from the particles generated
during a dental cleaning. These particles are full of bacteria and, if
inhaled, can result in pneumonia.
The other difference between anesthesia and sedation is the
length of effect. Most practices today employ relatively short-acting
agents to put the patient under anesthesia, and then a gas to keep the
patient under anesthesia. If a problem occurs under anesthesia, the
veterinarian can turn off the gas and the patient will recover quickly.
But under sedation, the effects generally do not go away until the drug
is cleared by the system, which can take too long. General anesthesia is
very safe today, thanks to advances in anesthetic drugs, training and
monitoring equipment.
A true dental prophylaxis consists of several steps, some
more critical than others. The required steps that must be performed
include:
- Supragingival scaling: This is the removal of the plaque and calculus above the gumline (what you can see).
- Subgingival scaling: This is the thorough cleaning of
the area under the gumline to remove disease-causing bacteria. It is
typically performed by hand and is time consuming, but it is the most
important step of a dental prophylaxis.
- Polishing: Scaling slightly roughens the teeth. This
promotes plaque and calculus attachment and reduces the lasting effect
of the cleaning, so the teeth are polished afterward. There has been
some controversy about this in human dentistry, due to the loss of
enamel with many cleanings over time. However, in veterinary dentistry,
with relatively fewer cleanings in an animal's life, this is not a
concern.
- Sulcal Lavage: Cleaning and polishing results in debris being caught under the gumline, which must be thoroughly rinsed out.
- Oral exam, periodontal probing and dental charting: This
is a critical and often misunderstood part of the dental prophylaxis.
There are teeth that cannot be thoroughly examined in a pet who is
awake, when periodontal probing is not possible. With the patient under
anesthesia, the mouth is thoroughly and systematically examined, and all
findings are noted on a dental chart. Any diseased teeth or tissues are
then properly treated.
Is my pet too old? NEVER. Healthy pets, even when they're older, handle anesthesia quite
well. Age does increase the possibility that the patient will have some
degree of organ malfunction, and those with systemic problems will be at
an increased risk. Therefore, we recommend pre-operative testing on all
patients prior to anesthesia. The important organs include the liver,
kidneys, heart and lungs. Recommended tests include a complete blood
panel and urinalysis in all patients. Thyroid testing and thoracic
radiographs are recommended in all patients over 6 years.
