
Monitoring and maintaining your pets oral and dental health is an essential part of caring for your pet. Your pets overall health can be influenced by the condition of your pets teeth and gums. Visa versa your pets oral health can be influenced by other health problems like kidney issues or immune problems.
Checking your pets mouth is so important and we advise at least an annual if not six monthly oral exam by either a veterinarian or a qualified veterinary nurse is done with your pet. By doing this we will often identify problems and provide advice on how to rectify the problem, thus keeping your pet healthy and happy for longer and preventing problems before they make your beloved pet seriously ill.

By checking your pets mouth regularly problems can be identified quickly and corrected before they cause severe discomfort or illness to your pet.
The following problems are often an indication of a problem in your pets mouth:
Halitosis (Bad breath)
Teeth that look broken or teeth that may be loose.
Retained deciduous teeth (baby teeth)
Teeth that are discoloured and have a large build up of tartar on their surface.
Problems with eating and chewing food.
Reduced appetite or even refusing to eat.
Excessive drooling and moisture around the mouth.
Mouth Pain either inside or around the mouth.
Swelling on the face especially on the cheeks.
Change in character. Pets can become grumpy and irritable when their mouths are sore. Sometimes however, pets do not show any signs of dental problems. In older pets, we as owners often just put down quieter behaviour and reduction in food intake to our pets age. It is therefor important to have regular dental checks with a vet as symptoms of dental disease may be very very subtle.

Very often we think of dental disease as a "Cavity" or a broken tooth, but oral health can be influenced by many more problems. These are the most common problems veterinarians see in our pets mouths.
Broken teeth and roots (extremely common cause of dental pain in pets)
Periodontal disease (Gum Disease)
Abscesses or infected teeth
Cavities (although this problem is not as common a problem in pets compared to humans)
Cysts or tumours in the mouth
Malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth and bite
Broken (fractured) jaw
Palate defects (such as cleft palate)

Periodontal disease is the inflammation and infection of the tissues that surround and support the teeth (Periodontium). Often the cause is due to the build up of plaque and bacteria. Gingivitis is common in dogs and cats and this is the inflammation of the gums around teeth where there is a build up of plaque.

Periodontal disease is the most common oral condition in dogs and cats and by the time your pet reaches it's third birthday there will most probably be mild periodontal disease developing in your pets mouth. It is therefor essential that we, as pet owners, detect and prevent the problem before it progresses to advanced periodontal disease and causes further problems and pain in your pet.
Periodontal disease often starts with plaque which is a biofilm : a sticky, odourless layer of microorganisms (Bacteria and fungi) that grows on the surface of teeth and gums. The plaque then hardens and becomes tartar. Tartar and plaque can be found above and below the gum line. Deposits above the gum line can be easily removed however the deposits that occur below the gum line can cause infection and damage to the tissues that connect the bony socket in the jaw to your pets teeth. Periodontal disease is graded on a scale from 0 (normal) to 4 (severe).
Periodontal disease doesn’t just affect your pet’s mouth. Often more serious heath problems are associated with severe dental disease and the organs affected include the kidneys, liver and heart (muscle and valves)


Treating periodontal disease involves a thorough dental cleaning. We use specialised dental equipment that uses ultrasonic vibrations to remove the rock hard tartar from the tooth surface. Our dentals are performed by our veterinarian whilst your pet is under a general anaesthetic. Using anaesthesia makes it possible for our vet to perform a thorough dental procedure on your pet without causing stress and pain.
Once the teeth have all been cleaned our vet will assess each and every tooth in your pets mouth. We check for damaged teeth, cavities, loose teeth and also pockets that may have developed below the gum line. Any teeth that are damaged are removed. Once our vet is happy with the mouth she will then polish the teeth with a specialised dental prophy paste.
All pets that undergo a Dental scale and polish go home with medication for pain or discomfort as well as drugs to prevent infection of the gums or areas where teeth have been extracted.

The best management of gum disease in pets is to prevent plaque and tartar developing on your pet's teeth and gums. It is important to ensure the mouth is cleaned frequently and by doing this oral health will be maintained. But what is the best method of keeping your pets mouth clean?

The gold standard for keeping your pets mouth healthy is brushing. There are many products available such as poultry or mint flavoured toothpastes and gels. Various types of toothbrushes are available too.

Daily chewing activities can also be an effective tool in maintaining oral health. By using products that have been awarded the VOHC Seal your pet's teeth are kept clean and the gum tissues and bone around the roots are kept healthy too.

Water additives have also proven to have a positive effect on oral hygiene. The Virbac Aquadent Fr3sh targets the causes of bad breath in three ways, it cleanses the mouth, it freshens breath using a cooling action and it supports healthy digestion too. The active ingredients - Pomegranate, Inulin and Erythritol have anti-plaque effects in the mouth.
Should you be concerned about your pets oral health, please make an appointment to visit our practice where we can explain what the best plan of action would be to improve your pets mouth and teeth.

The VOHC exists to recognize products that meet pre-set standards of plaque and calculus (tartar) retardation in dogs and cats. Products are awarded the VOHC Seal of Acceptance following review of data from trials conducted according to VOHC protocols. The VOHC does not test products itself.
The VOHC Seal is displayed on products that have been awarded the Seal.
Regular use of products carrying the VOHC Seal will reduce the severity of periodontal disease in pets.
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