Spotlight on Periodontal Disease
What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease is an inflammatory response to increased plaque and bacteria, which results in destruction of tissue and loss of tooth attachment.
How is periodontal disease diagnosed?
Periodontal disease is hard to spot on a standard clinical examination, though your vet will get a good indication as to whether further exploration under general anaesthetic is required.
We will also rely on your account of any subtle signs of disease, such as:
- Bad breath
- Dropping food / messy eating
- Favouring one side of the mouth
- Preferring softer foods
- Less mouth play with toys
- Swallowing food without chewing
How is periodontal disease treated?
Your vet will recommend a dental procedure under anaesthetic, starting with a “scale and polish” and extractions of any teeth if required.
The “scale” will physically remove any plaque both above and below the gum line. The “polish” creates a smooth surface on the teeth which makes it harder for plaque to adhere to in future.
We are also able to offer dental x-rays which may be recommended by your vet to diagnose periodontal disease, to see dental damage below the gum line, or to establish a baseline for future monitoring.
How can I help prevent periodontal disease?
Daily tooth brushing is the gold standard prevention for dental disease. Be sure to use a pet safe toothpaste and start slowly with pets not used to having their teeth brushed.
You can also supplement this with a product such as Oxyfresh which is added to your pet’s water to increase the health of their mouth biome, as well as dental treats like buffalo chews.
Regular checks with your vet and following recommendations with regards to dental treatment will keep your pet’s mouth healthy and pain free.
We will be checking your pet’s teeth at their annual visit. As always, please call us on 01435 864422 or book an appointment online if your pet is showing any symptoms of dental disease.
