Page 23 - 9 Spring 2023 Newsletter

Dental Care

By Vikki Marshall RVN APHC CertCFVHNuT
Dental disease in dogs is one of the matures, and the adult teeth have
most common conditions that vets settled over time, a fine film of
have to deal with today. A little time plaque begins to build up on them.
and attention from you performing Plaque is made up of saliva, food and
some basic dental care will keep your bacteria which sits on the surface of
dog’s mouth healthy and clean. It the teeth. It is difficult to see and if
will also help to reduce the risk of left un-cleaned forms a hard deposit
dental disease occurring. Dog’s teeth which is known as tartar or calculus
are similar to our own and are which, if left un-treated, can build up
susceptible to some of the same oral and completely cover the teeth. This
problems that we suffer from. can then begin to cause the dog
discomfort when eating and will also
Your puppy will have 28 baby or
deciduous teeth. The adult teeth make the mouth smell.
replace the deciduous (baby) teeth Eventually this tartar will irritate the
at between 4-5 months old and gum surrounding the tooth, causing
during this time your puppy’s mouth it to become inflamed, red and
may be a little sore and they may swollen. This can be very painful
have the desire to chew more. and even cause a loss of appetite.
As your dog chews their
food the inflamed gums
may bleed which releases
bacteria and their toxins
into the dog’s bloodstream.
This can make your dog
feel very unwell. These
toxins can then cause
secondary problems with
Scissor bite Overshot bite Level bite Undershot bite
organs such as the heart
and liver. The inflammation can also
The adult dog has 42 teeth to spread to the tooth root or socket and
produce the correct mouth. cause what is known as a tooth root
Occasionally dogs can develop an abscess.
incorrect bite so that they have what
are known as overshot or under shot Halitosis or bad breath is often the
jaws or they can also have a level first thing you may notice as a result
bite. of dental disease. Gingivitis and
plaque can both contribute to the
Good oral hygiene for your dog is unpleasant odour in the mouth. Most
a really important part of dog dogs will generally require some
ownership, more about why, is dental treatment during their lifetime
explained below and I will outline but the more you can do to support
later how best to do this. their dental health the lower the
Puppy’s mouths generally tend to be chances are of them requiring
free from tartar build up, gum expensive dental treatment.
infections and bad breath. As the dog
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