Regular Dental Cleanings - Brush Up for Health
Just as it’s important for you to brush your teeth each day, it is equally important for your pet to have a daily toothbrushing routine. Keeping your pet’s mouth healthy can help keep the rest of him healthy as well as avoid problems such as bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay.
Do you brush your kitty’s teeth or your dog’s choppers? If not, you’re not alone. According to a survey by the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association, only 15 percent of dog owners bought dental cleaners for their dogs during 2002—and only another 8 percent said they planned to buy such products. Cat owners were even less interested: Just 4 percent of those surveyed bought dental cleaners for their cats in 2002, and a miniscule 2 percent planned to buy such cleaners in 2003.
Even though such statistics may seem dismaying, there are certain things that pet owners can do to ensure that their pets don’t develop dental disease. One of the most important ways to help your pet is to brush his teeth on a regular basis.
THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM
Veterinarians point to three obstacles that come between pets and regular toothbrushing:
- The owner may not realize how important brushing is.
- The owner may not know how to brush the pet’s teeth.
- The pet won’t let the owner brush its teeth.
Owners may not realize that their failure to give their pets regular toothbrushings could lead to life-threatening infections. A dog or cat that doesn’t get its teeth brushed on a regular basis will almost certainly have the bad breath that signals the onset of gum disease—the same kind of gum disease that is so common in people.
Gum disease follows the same path in both people and pets. Initially, food particles, saliva, and bacteria form a filmy mixture on the teeth. This mixture, which is known as plaque, builds and eventually hardens into the brown-colored material known as tartar. At that point, the gums become tender and inflamed.
If enough tartar accumulates, the gums pull away from the teeth, and more bacteria accumulates in the resulting gaps between the teeth and gums. These new bacteria assault the roots of the teeth, resulting in still more tooth loosening, bad breath, bleeding at the gum line, and pain while eating. The bacteria can also enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver, kidneys, lungs, and heart, triggering infections in those organs. Serious damage or even death may result from such infections.
THE WHYS AND HOWS OF BRUSHING
Veterinarians try to do a lot to educate their clients about the importance of brushing their animal companions’ teeth, and they are getting help from a national educational campaign. The decade-long campaign, dubbed “Pets Need Dental Care, Too™,” aims to encourage owners to make dental care and annual examinations a priority for their pets. The campaign is co-sponsored by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Veterinary Dental Society, and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. More information, including fact sheets and dental care tips, is available at www.petdental.com.
However, understanding the importance of brushing a pet’s teeth is only the first step in ensuring your pet’s oral health. You also need to actually brush the teeth—and do it the right way, starting with the right equipment.
“A toothbrush and toothpaste designed especially for pets are always recommended,” says Dr. Sandy Manfra Marretta, a veterinarian and professor of small animal surgery and dentistry at the University of Illinois. “These toothbrushes are extremely soft and are specifically designed for pets. Pet toothpaste is specially flavored for pets, and most pets enjoy the tastes of these products.” Toothpaste made for humans can make your pet sick, so be sure to use a toothpaste made especially for pets.
After acquiring the proper pet toothbrush and pet toothpaste, you should introduce your dog or cat to the joys of brushing slowly and carefully. Such introductions are “done like any other training: with patience, practice, and persistence,” says Dr. Gary Beard, a veterinarian and assistant dean of Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
“Start by just rubbing your finger on the pet’s muzzle very gently and carefully while talking softly and comfortingly to him,” Dr. Beard suggests. “Do this each day and gradually increase the amount of time spent as the pet begins to enjoy the rubbing. Once the pet accepts this interaction, you can rub just inside the gums and teeth—quickly at first, but gradually extending the time until the pet enjoys the interplay.”
At this point, you can try to replace your finger with the toothbrush and toothpaste, but proceed slowly and carefully. Dr. Manfra Marretta suggests “placing a small amount of toothpaste on a toothbrush, starting first with one tooth in front of the mouth and over several days brushing all of the teeth.”
Veterinarians generally recommend that the front teeth be brushed with an up-and-down motion and the side teeth in a circular motion. Proper positioning is also important. “Hold the pet’s muzzle with your free hand to control head movement while brushing,” Dr. Manfra Marretta suggests.
Once you and your pet have become accustomed to daily brushings, the job shouldn’t take long. “Usually no more than a few minutes a day are necessary,” says Dr. Beard.
DEALING WITH THE UNCOOPERATIVE PET
Despite an owner’s best efforts, some dogs and cats simply will not allow their teeth to be brushed. But even if your pet balks at brushing, there are other ways to administer some at-home dental care.
“There are solutions available that can be easily applied to the tooth and gum surfaces, or wipes that may be easier to use than actual toothbrushing,” says Dr. Gary Goldstein, a veterinarian and associate clinical specialist at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ Veterinary Teaching Hospital in St. Paul. Ask your veterinarian about these options and which ones would work best for your pet. You can also provide your pet with a variety of different chew treats and toys such as chew strips, dental bones, and rubber chew toys. Some manufacturers add tartar-reducing enzymes to their products, but “all of these chew exercise toys will help prevent the buildup of plaque on your pet’s teeth,” says Dr. Goldstein.
Finally, specially formulated pet diets can make a significant dent in the plaque deposits that form on your pet’s teeth. Such food products “have abrasive particles that will help mechanically remove plaque,” Dr. Goldstein explains. These products can only be purchased at a veterinarian’s office, so be sure to ask your veterinarian about the options available for your pet.
WORKING WITH YOUR VETERINARIAN
Your veterinarian plays an important role in maintaining the oral health of your dog or cat. Not only can she examine your pet’s mouth, gums, and teeth for signs of gum disease and other dental problems, but she can also give your pet a head start in the effort to beat back a plaque attack. That head start takes the form of a professional dental cleaning that is done in your veterinarian’s office.
During a dental cleaning, the veterinarian removes tartar from the teeth and gums and removes any teeth that might be severely damaged. Such cleanings begin with placing the dog or cat under a general anesthetic. This is a perfectly safe procedure, but if you have concerns about this, speak with your veterinarian.
Once the dental cleaning is complete, keeping a pet’s mouth healthy depends on its owner’s willingness to try wielding a toothbrush, which takes time and patience. Such effort pays off, though. “This is one area where the owner can truly make a difference in the health of a pet, and lower the cost of health care,” says Dr. Beard. “It also is one of the most pleasant and bonding activities you can do with your pet.”
SIGNS OF TROUBLE
Dr. Gary Goldstein provides the owners of his patients with brochures to help them determine whether their pets need professional dental care. Here are the signs of trouble he says owners should watch for:
- Bad breath
- Heavy tartar buildup
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Heavy drooling
- Mouth pain
- Rubbing or pawing at the face
- Reluctance to being patted on the head
- Decreased appetite
- Difficulty eating or swallowing
- Listlessness
- Mouth sores
- Sneezing or nasal discharge