Dental Prophylaxis
What are the stages of periodontal disease?
What do we do to perform dental prophylaxis?
What is involved in dental prophylaxis?
How do I prevent periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease is inflammation of the gums. This can range from mild to severe depending on the stage of disease your pet is in. Even at the point where your pet's teeth look healthy, there is a chance that periodontal disease is setting up under the gum line. A few signs to look for are bad breath, inflamed gums, yellow, tan or brown build-up on the teeth.
What are the stages of periodontal disease?
There are four distinct stages of periodontal disease. These are as follows:
- Stage I - Gingivitis - This is the beginning stage of periodontal disease. You will notice a small amount of plaque (usually a yellowing of the teeth) and the gums will be swollen and inflamed. At this stage the condition is completely reversible with a complete dental cleaning.
- Stage II - Early Periodontal Disease - The gums will be more swollen and noticeably red in color. Halitosis becomes noticeable and some of the teeth may be painful. Dental plaque begins to harden and becomes what is known as dental calculi. Without a dental prophylaxis and proper care, this condition can become irreversible.
- Stage III - Moderate Periodontal Disease - Gums are now bright red in color and some bleeding is occurring. A noticeable black line is present (known as the bacteria line, which is a good source of infection in the mouth) and the tartar is pushing up under the gum line. The mouth is sore and your pet will have a hard time eating. The gums are starting to recede and permanent bone, root and gum lose can occur. This condition is irreversible. A complete cleaning is required and some extractions may be necessary.
- Stage IV - Severe Periodontal Disease - The gums are destroyed by bacteria and you can see the bone structure in the mouth. Bacteria is also being transferred throughout the body Gums are black, pus is present in the mouth and the teeth are lose and covered with tartar. Dental disease is completely irreversible and extractions are necessary. Dental prophylaxis may be able to save some teeth, but the damage cause by neglect is permanent.
Why do we perform dental prophylaxis?
Of course everyone wants their pet to have nice white teeth and fresh breathe. This is one reason for performing dental prophylaxis, but not the mail reason we recommend this procedure. As stated in the stages of periodontal disease, over time bacteria will build up under the gum line. Not only does this bacteria lead to gum and tooth lose, it can also lead to other problems throughout the body. The bacteria is picked up in the gums, through the blood stream and move through many of the vital organs. Predominantly, this bacteria causes problems in the heart, liver and kidneys. In the heart, the bacteria attaches to the valves and over time can cause heart murmurs. Also, since the liver and kidneys work as a filter for the body, prolonged breakdown of the bacteria can cause liver and/or kidney damage.
What is involved in dental prophylaxis?
First and foremost an appointment with your veterinarian should be scheduled to discuss your pet's oral health. Dependent on the age of your pet we might wish to perform some pre-anesthetic blood work to make sure your pet is a good candidate for anesthetic. Also, the veterinarian might wish to start your pet on antibiotics prior to the dental prophylaxis to minimize the amount of bacteria in your pet's system.
Since this is an anesthetic procedure, your pet will need to spend the day in the hospital. They will get a pre-surgical exam and administered a sedative prior to the procedure. Afterwards your pet will be placed on a general anesthetic and their teeth will be cleaned. With all dental procedures we take a complete set of dental x-rays. This gives the veterinarian a chance to view any issues under the gums and also to confirm that your pet's roots and bone are healthy. Sometimes there might be the need for extractions if there is excessive root or bone damage.
The cleaning process involves an ultrasonic scaling which will remove the plaque and tartar from your pet's teeth and under the gum line. After the teeth have been cleaned, they are polished smooth to help prevent plaque and tartar from building back up. Finally, your pet's mouth is flushed with a chlorhexidine rinse to remove any free floating bacteria from the mouth.
How can periodontal disease be prevented?
Through proper home dental care the amount of plaque and tartar build-up can be substantially reduced. We care a large supply of oral health products to help keep your pet's mouth healthy and fresh.
Although the hardest, tooth brushing is the best way to accomplish optimum oral health. We do realize that your pet might not be open to the idea of having their teeth brushed, so we do offer other oral care products for your pet. There are rinses that you can add to your pets water, apply in their mouth, or oral chews that release chlorhexadine as your pet chews.