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Dental Preventive (Home) Care 1090.e1

Dental Preventive (Home) Care Client Education
Sheet
VetBooks.ir
Possible Complications and
Difficulty level: ♦
Common Errors to Avoid • Go farther caudally as the pet tolerates
the procedure. Give praise and rewards
Overview and Goal • The desire to achieve thorough oral hygiene immediately after. Brush daily.
A regimen of home dental care is designed to right at the beginning is often a deterrent • Movement: for the incisors, brush from
help keep the periodontium healthy between for the owner and the animal. Most pets the gingiva toward the tip of the teeth. For
professional oral prophylactic or therapeutic will not tolerate more than 20 seconds of the other teeth, brush with a circulatory
treatments. toothbrushing and will not allow brushing movement with the bristles slightly oriented
the aspect of the teeth facing the palate or toward the gingiva of the upper jaw and then
Indications the tongue. lower jaw so that the action is focused on
• Accumulation of bacterial plaque (soft) or • For pets that have minimal calculus buildup, the area next to the gingival margin. With
dental calculus (hard) on the dental surface an annual thorough dental examination/ the mouth closed, the last teeth of the lower Procedures and Techniques
• Prevention of gingivitis and periodontal cleaning under anesthesia often is not rec- jaw are hidden behind the teeth of the upper
disease ommended. As a result, these animals may jaw; however, the area next to the gingiva
• Part of the maintenance phase in the treat- end up having severe dental or periodontal can still be brushed.
ment of periodontitis problems for an extended period before Other alternatives:
the problem is noticed. It is sad that after • Use food specially designed to prevent
Contraindications investing a lot of effort in home dental care calculus or plaque formation mechanically
• When the animal needs professional dental for prevention, these owners are not getting (fibers) or chemically. Fibers help clean the
prophylactic treatment (gingivitis, calculus, the success they were expecting because the caudal teeth.
or plaque buildup) or periodontal treat- recommendation for professional dental • Rinses: chlorhexidine 0.12% for treatment
ment (periodontitis, loss of dentogingival care was never made until it was clinically and prevention of gingivitis (not for peri-
attachment) obvious that a problem was present. Pets, odontitis because it is ineffective on organic
• Oral hygiene complements and does not just as humans, need both home dental care material, cannot reach bottom of periodontal
replace professional dental care. and professional dental care. pockets); zinc and ascorbic acid, mainly for
• Many chew toys have a round cross-sectional their action on epithelium and connective
Equipment, Anesthesia shape and are so hard that the carnassial tissue, respectively
• Soft-bristle toothbrush; pet toothpaste teeth are prone to break when the pet bites • Products containing enzymes that enhance
• Food that is specially designed to reduce down on them. the antimicrobial action of saliva and
dental plaque or calculus formation • There are so many products on the market leukocytes
• Oral rinses to help reduce dental plaque and so many claims, most unsupported • Products that stimulate oral exercise, produc-
formation by credible independent research that it is tion of saliva, and removal of plaque and
• Chew toys approved by Veterinary Oral difficult to choose what to recommend to calculus
Health Council clients. A credible and independent source of
information on the efficacy of dental products Postprocedure
Anticipated Time is the Veterinary Oral Health Council website Professional dental care once each year to allow
The home dental care regimen is discussed (www.vohc.org), and products bearing the complete oral examination, removal of plaque
during regular visits or as part of a comprehen- council’s seal are recommended. and calculus in areas where they still build up
sive oral prophylactic treatment or periodontal despite home dental care, and tooth polishing
treatment. After the regimen is well accepted Procedure
by the pet and the owner, it is a daily routine Training for toothbrushing and instructions Alternatives and Their
that takes only 1 or 2 minutes. for the owner: Relative Merits
• Start with a bare finger, and apply pet In absence or ineffectiveness of home dental
Preparation: Important toothpaste on the rostral (front) teeth. care, the frequency of professional dental care
Checkpoints • Massage the gingiva for a few seconds. Repeat is adjusted to prevent or control periodontal
• The home dental care regimen should be many times a day. disease.
selected after considering the animal’s needs; • As the pet gets used to it, go farther caudally
the will, availability, and dexterity of the in the mouth until the pet tolerates the RELATED CLIENT EDUCATION
owner; and the compliance of the animal. procedure being done up to and including
• The implementation may require some form the molars. SHEET
of training or behavior positive reinforcement • After the pet is comfortable with the How to Brush a Pet’s Teeth
before the pet associates home dental care procedure, start using a toothbrush with
with something fun. soft bristles, and apply the toothpaste again AUTHOR: Yvan Dumais, DVM, DAVDC, FAVD
on the rostral teeth, brushing for a few EDITORS: Leah A. Cohn, DVM, PhD, DACVIM; Mark S.
seconds. Thompson, DVM, DABVP

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