Happy Dental Awareness Month! Time to lift that lip!

During February and March, our clinic is celebrating Dental Awareness by offering free dental checks with us lovely nurses :) I love schemes like this because owners are invited to come and see us so we can check their pets' teeth but most importantly, chat about dental care!

I'm a bit of a dental care enthusiast, and am keen to advertise that prevention is better than cure! Starting teeth brushing at an early age, leads pets down a TOTALLY different dental path. We've had to perform dentals, including extractions, on pets as young as 5 years old! 5 years old?! That's awfully young to take teeth away but if a tooth is diseased, there's no turning back so there's no point leaving it in place or we'll be back to square one in a short period of time.
Many people don't understand the need for tooth brushing when cats and dogs in the wild don't brush their teeth; but domestic pets have evolved a long long way from their wild counterparts and cannot be treated in the same way when they physiology, diet and routine could not be more different!

So. What causes "dental disease"? I use that term to umbrella all the different causes of tooth extractions, so just to clarify - when I say dental disease, I don't just mean rotting teeth, it could mean tooth fractures or cavities or gum recession. Not every person will use this term to describe all these problems, but I like to try and simplify things for people to understand.

What if your pet isn't a puppy or kitten anymore? Well, teeth brushing can still be introduced depending on the pet's temperament. I won't lie, if you know your cat or dog will have your finger off - don't risk it, fingers don't grow back! But don't panic, their are alternatives which we'll come on to later! As for those more laid back pets; slow introduction is key! This is my how to guide;

• First, get your pet used to you lifting the lip and looking in their mouth. That's it. On a daily basis examine your pets mouth and reward them; either with a treat (low fat preferably!) or a toy, whichever they enjoy the most! Do this for 1-2 weeks.
• Once your pet is comfortable with you examining their teeth, gently run your finger along their teeth and gums, just the outside, don't worry about the inside for now, and don't forget the front incisors, they are some of the most vulnerable in the mouth! Continue this for another 1-2 weeks and remember to reward good behaviour!
• Then introduce the toothpaste! Same as before with you finger but with pet toothpaste - don't use human toothpaste! Give it a couple more weeks.
• Now we introduce the brush! If you're still feeling a little unsure at this stage, I'd use a finger brush first and then move onto a toothbrush once you're feeling confident. Start brushing for a short period of time to begin with and increase the period of time over a few weeks. Like when we brush, brush in a circular motion, including the gums, gently as to not irritate the tissue. 

Tooth brushing should be carried out daily for the best dental hygiene, but if that's not achievable, the more often the better! Here's an excellent video on the tooth brushing action!

So, what about those pets that won't co-operate? Well I'd recommend at least training them to accept the lip lifting process. Dental disease can easily go unnoticed until it is very advanced and causes other outward symptoms, but if you can at least check your pet's teeth on a regular basis, at least you'll be able to recognise when assistance is required. 

There are numerous dental chews and diets on the diet designed to help. CARE with the dental chews. As good as they are - they're a double edged sword because they can be calorific! So make sure you work the chews in as part of your pet's daily food allowance. Most these chews and diets work on design; when the pet chews them and they don't crumble, they graze the teeth which in effect sort of has a brushing action. A

lot of owner's think dry food is better for teeth, and although this is true because it doesn't leave the film on teeth that wet food does, if the kibble crumbles easily when the pet chews, this doesn't have any brushing action. So the key is with dental diets and chews; do a bit of research and choose carefully! If tooth brushing cannot be achieved, chews and diets are a good halfway point.

There are other treatment's available; enzyme gels, water additives, etc etc, but I'm yet to be convinced by them. Don't get me wrong, they may work, I just haven't seen enough cases walk through our door yet! :)