Pet Vet: Dental hygiene for pets

Dentists have done some great things to fix smiles on people, but amazing things can also be done for our pets.

16 Saturday Morning’s Pet Vet, Dr. David Visser, shares more about veterinary dentists and some of the high tech ways they can keep a pet’s mouth healthy.

Basic dental care to treat or prevent tartar and gum disease is exceptionally important, and veterinary dental specialists are now performing root canals, restorations, and other high tech procedures for our pets -- even applying braces.

Veterinarians are now offering a higher level of oral care, including dental x-rays. Common at human dental offices, dental x-rays for pets were rarely used until recently. The increased use of diagnostic x-rays has made evaluating your pet’s oral health much more thorough.

Dental experts say that 42-percent of cats and 28-percent of dogs have problems below the gumline, invisible to a routine examination. These hidden problems could be causing pain, and even greater problems for your pet.

In addition to being able to diagnose conditions more efficiently, veterinarians are now better at preventing dental diseases and managing conditions that previously led to tooth loss. To do this, veterinary dentists have developed new techniques to save at-risk teeth and avoid extractions. This is especially good news for working dogs and show dogs.

Utilizing oral surgery techniques, lasers, and even new gels designed to promote bone growth, these pet dentists can help save teeth, maintain good oral function, and keep a pet’s smile bright.

Braces to help correct mal-positioned teeth, and even root canals to correct nerve disease and damage are now available.

Most general veterinary practices perform routine teeth cleaning procedures, and in fact, February is National Pet Dental Health Month. People who have noticed signs of dental problems in their pets will be pleasantly surprised to find that many local veterinary practices are celebrating this special month with free dental examinations, reduced-fee dental cleanings and even free samples of oral health products.

More than 80-percent of pets have some degree of dental disease, and many have severe problems. Here are some of the most common signs people may notice: a strong or foul odor from the mouth or in the pet’s breath, seeing an odd color on your pet’s teeth which is anything other than the normal white color. It may be tartar which can be brown, green, yellow, or black. Some pets will have difficulty eating or seem to be in pain while chewing. Finally, blood may be evident in your pet’s mouth, in the food dish, or on chew toys.

If any of these signs are seen, the veterinarian should be called right away to schedule this important exam. We just can’t count on pets to complain like we would if we had the same degree of dental disease or toothache pain. Now, just for a second, think of how icky it feels to go just one day without brushing, then take a look at your dog and cat and realize that most of them have gone YEARS without it.

This is a very, very important issue. In fact comparatively, some of the conditions I talk about in my pet health segment may occur in only one out of a hundred patients. But 80-percent means that 80 out of 100 are struggling with dental disease. Over the next couple weeks, I will highlight various ways for pet owners to help battle this common, painful problem.

If you want to contact the Pet Vet, Dr. David Visser, you can reach him at the Roseland Animal Hospital by calling 574-272-6100 or at the Center for Animal Health by calling 888-PETS-VETS.

You can also shoot him an email at MichianaPetVet@comcast.net.