Dental Care

Dental care is an important tool when maintaining the health of your pet. Oral health can be an important factor of care that is often overlooked, as a responsible pet owner it is important to know a little bit about your pet’s mouth to be able to maintain a healthy mouth for your pet.

Within a dog’s mouth there are 32 teeth this is made up of 12 incisors (small teeth at the front), 4 canines (sharp pointy teeth), 16 premolars (flat teeth) and 10 molars (right at the back of the mouth).

A cat will have 30 teeth which is made up of 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars.

Each tooth type plays an important role in the mouth. Incisors are at the very front of the mouth, they are used for grabbing food and also for grooming. Canines are used to shred and tear food. Premolars and molars are used to crush food to make it easier to digest.

What is plaque and tartar?

Plaque is a coating of bacteria that forms on the teeth.

Tartar is a hard substance that is a result of plaque building up and being left too long on the tooth.

Common Dental Issues

There are many dental issues that can arise without proper maintenance of oral hygiene. The most common ones would be gingivitis and periodontal disease.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis can be explained as inflammation of the gingiva, commonly known as the gum. The gum will generally appear quite red and will sometimes bleed when touched. Gingivitis can cause pain in your pet.

Periodontal Disease

Periodontal Disease is the next stage after gingivitis. It causes degeneration to the tooth and surrounding gingiva. According to a statistic released by Hill’s ‘by two years of age, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some form of periodontal disease’.

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion

Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesion or FORL is a condition where the dentin (refer tooth diagram) erodes, which can be very painful.

Issues that can result from poor dental care

• Pain and discomfort - which can lead to aggression or behavioural changes in some pets.
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease

Passive and Active Dental Care

Taking care of your pets teeth you can either take an active or passive approach or combine both. Below are some ideas of both methods that could help improve the dental hygiene of your pet.

Passive Dental Care Ideas

• Food/ nutrition (e.g. t/d Hills prescription diet)
• Dental powder (e.g. Plaque off)
• Dental Paste (e.g. dentipet toothpaste)
• Water additive (e.g. aquadent)
• Dental Chews/ treats (e.g oravet chews)

Active Dental Care Ideas

• Daily teeth brushing
• Scheduled veterinary teeth cleaning/ dentals

As a vet clinic we also act as a dog dentist and cat dentist, providing quality care for your pet’s oral health needs. If you are concerned about the oral health of your pet please don’t hesitate to contact us or book a free dental check.

Newstead Vets 

‘for a healthier tomorrow’