Dental - To Clean or Not to Clean
Why dental cleaning and dental radio graphs:
Under the gum line a sneaky creature lurks "plaque". Plague is a sticky deposit which contains billions of bacterial entities. Plaque proliferates within 8 hours of cleaning or brushing teeth. Tartar is a hardened form of plaque and calcium that in of itself is not a problem because the bacteria are inert in the tartar but it causes more mechanical damage to the gum and the tooth making it more susceptible to plaque formation and therefore, more damage.
What does plaque do? Plaque attacks the underlying structures of the gums, bone, ligaments surrounding the teeth and the tooth roots themselves. This leads to gingivitis, gingival and bone recession, tooth abscess, etc.
Optimally, like in human we would want to clean this layer away with a professional dental cleaning every 6-12 months. Starting as early as 1-3 years of age depending on how often the pet's teeth are brushed, whether they are on dental food, and what breed type they are. By doing this we prevent the pet from having chronic mouth pain, bad breath and chronic bacterial spread to the body which can damage kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and brain. There has been studies in humans and animals that prove that regular dental care can extend lifespans by 2-3 years. That is a long time more we can spend with a loved one.
Why Dental radiographs ? We unfortunately cannot see under the gumline. We do a full dental exam using instruments to probe for pockets but the radiographs shows us what is going on within the tooth and bone itself. This is especially important in small dogs and cats as they have dental disease conditions that are only identified via radiographs. Cats have a condition called "Feline Oral Resorptive Lesion" or neck lesions. In this condition the enamel disintegrates and the underlying root is exposed. This is a painful condition and the tooth needs to be removed. This disease affects as much as 60% of cats over the age of 5. Unfortunately, cats are famous for hiding their pain and owners are often unaware of the condition until it gets super bad.
Under the gum line a sneaky creature lurks "plaque". Plague is a sticky deposit which contains billions of bacterial entities. Plaque proliferates within 8 hours of cleaning or brushing teeth. Tartar is a hardened form of plaque and calcium that in of itself is not a problem because the bacteria are inert in the tartar but it causes more mechanical damage to the gum and the tooth making it more susceptible to plaque formation and therefore, more damage.
What does plaque do? Plaque attacks the underlying structures of the gums, bone, ligaments surrounding the teeth and the tooth roots themselves. This leads to gingivitis, gingival and bone recession, tooth abscess, etc.
Optimally, like in human we would want to clean this layer away with a professional dental cleaning every 6-12 months. Starting as early as 1-3 years of age depending on how often the pet's teeth are brushed, whether they are on dental food, and what breed type they are. By doing this we prevent the pet from having chronic mouth pain, bad breath and chronic bacterial spread to the body which can damage kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and brain. There has been studies in humans and animals that prove that regular dental care can extend lifespans by 2-3 years. That is a long time more we can spend with a loved one.
Why Dental radiographs ? We unfortunately cannot see under the gumline. We do a full dental exam using instruments to probe for pockets but the radiographs shows us what is going on within the tooth and bone itself. This is especially important in small dogs and cats as they have dental disease conditions that are only identified via radiographs. Cats have a condition called "Feline Oral Resorptive Lesion" or neck lesions. In this condition the enamel disintegrates and the underlying root is exposed. This is a painful condition and the tooth needs to be removed. This disease affects as much as 60% of cats over the age of 5. Unfortunately, cats are famous for hiding their pain and owners are often unaware of the condition until it gets super bad.
