Dental disease is one of the most common ailments among dogs. Astonishingly, 85% of dogs over the age of three will have some form of dental disease via tartar or gingivitis. The most common symptoms owners report include:
Bad Smelling Breath or Halitosis
Bleeding of the Gums
Blood left behind on chew toys
As gingivitis and dental disease become more severe, other symptoms may appear. These include:
Denying to Eat
Drooling
Difficulty in chewing or picking up hard foods
Discomfort when opening mouth
Enlargement of lymph nodes underneath the jaw
Swelling on the face underneath the eye
Bacteria from advanced dental disease can spread to other organs of the body such as the heart, kidneys and brain causing severe infection.
The Veterinary Visit " Diagnosis and Treatment of Dental Disease
Generally, a physical examination performed by your veterinarian can determine if your dog has dental disease. All that is needed is a thorough view of the inside of the mouth and teeth. However, tartar below the gum line cannot be seen by the naked eye. For this, your veterinarian will require X-rays. This procedure will require your dog to undergo general anesthesia. This is typically performed during the treatment process as both require anesthetic.
The most effective way to treat tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with a professional veterinary cleaning. This procedure is usually a one day, outpatient procedure, but does require general anesthetic.
While under sedation, a dog's teeth are cleaned and polished both above and below the gum line much like a human dentist does for people.
If a dog has severe infection or abscesses on or around any of its teeth, the veterinarian will perform x-rays to determine if the tooth can or cannot be saved. This is done while the dog is sedated. If teeth must be pulled, don't worry, most dogs do very well after teeth have been removed. Often times they are still able to eat solid food.
There are some owners who choose not to have their dogs teeth removed. Instead, they prefer to visit a veterinary dental specialist to salvage a broken or infected tooth.
Preventing Dog Dental Disease
The best way to prevent tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with daily brushing. Use special toothpaste made only for dogs along with a soft toothbrush when brushing your dogs teeth. Do not use human toothpaste as it was not meant to be swallowed and foams too much. The video below contains a detailed description of how to brush your dogs teeth.
Bad Smelling Breath or Halitosis
Bleeding of the Gums
Blood left behind on chew toys
As gingivitis and dental disease become more severe, other symptoms may appear. These include:
Denying to Eat
Drooling
Difficulty in chewing or picking up hard foods
Discomfort when opening mouth
Enlargement of lymph nodes underneath the jaw
Swelling on the face underneath the eye
Bacteria from advanced dental disease can spread to other organs of the body such as the heart, kidneys and brain causing severe infection.
The Veterinary Visit " Diagnosis and Treatment of Dental Disease
Generally, a physical examination performed by your veterinarian can determine if your dog has dental disease. All that is needed is a thorough view of the inside of the mouth and teeth. However, tartar below the gum line cannot be seen by the naked eye. For this, your veterinarian will require X-rays. This procedure will require your dog to undergo general anesthesia. This is typically performed during the treatment process as both require anesthetic.
The most effective way to treat tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with a professional veterinary cleaning. This procedure is usually a one day, outpatient procedure, but does require general anesthetic.
While under sedation, a dog's teeth are cleaned and polished both above and below the gum line much like a human dentist does for people.
If a dog has severe infection or abscesses on or around any of its teeth, the veterinarian will perform x-rays to determine if the tooth can or cannot be saved. This is done while the dog is sedated. If teeth must be pulled, don't worry, most dogs do very well after teeth have been removed. Often times they are still able to eat solid food.
There are some owners who choose not to have their dogs teeth removed. Instead, they prefer to visit a veterinary dental specialist to salvage a broken or infected tooth.
Preventing Dog Dental Disease
The best way to prevent tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with daily brushing. Use special toothpaste made only for dogs along with a soft toothbrush when brushing your dogs teeth. Do not use human toothpaste as it was not meant to be swallowed and foams too much. The video below contains a detailed description of how to brush your dogs teeth.
About the Author:
Heather Fox is an experience veterinarian who loves to share her knowledge about Dog Illness Diagnosis. She has an online classroom at Clivir.com where you can find more of her articles about Dog Ringworm Symptoms.
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