February is National Pet Dental Health Month

Published 10:00 pm Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Happy February! In honor of National Pet Dental Health Month, this month’s “Fully Vetted” columns will focus on canine and feline dentistry.

The most common dental disease of pets is periodontal disease. Unfortunately, many pet owners are not aware that their pets have a dental problem until periodontal disease has become severe.

Each tooth has a support system, which consists of gingiva (gum), cementum, the periodontal ligament, and alveolar supporting bone. Damage to the support system results in periodontal disease. Damage begins when plaque, which is a sticky, bacteria-containing deposit, forms on the surface of the teeth. If plaque is not removed, it begins to mineralize, forming calculus (tartar).

photo courtesy of Greenies.com

photo courtesy of Greenies.com

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Calculus irritates the gingival tissue and changes the mouth’s pH. This allows bacteria to attach below the surface of unhealthy gums. Subgingival bacteria and their byproducts eat away at the tooth’s support structures, resulting in loose teeth, and eventual tooth loss. Bacteria may also enter the bloodstream via unhealthy, bleeding gums, leading to infections in other parts of the body.

There are two different grading scales used by veterinarians to classify the severity of periodontal disease. The “Mobility Index” evaluates the looseness of the tooth, and is divided into three stages. Stage 1 indicates slight mobility. Stage 2 indicates moderate mobility that is less than the width of the crown (the visible portion of the tooth outside of the gums). Stage 3 describes mobility that is greater than the width of the crown. Teeth with Stage 3 mobility have usually lost more than half of their supporting bone, and can usually not be salvaged.

Periodontal disease can also be staged by the percentage of periodontal support that has been destroyed. Stage 1 disease describes gingivitis with no loss of periodontal support. Stage 2 periodontal disease describes early periodontitis, where less than 25 percent of the tooth’s supporting structures have been lost. Stage 3 periodontal disease describes 25 percent to 50 percent loss of support structures. Stage 4 describes advanced periodontitis, with greater than 50 percent destruction of support structures.

Stage 1 periodontal disease, in which gingivitis is present but bone loss has not yet occurred, is reversible with a professional dental cleaning and daily maintenance, such as brushing. Once bone loss has occurred, such as in Stage 2 and Stage 3 periodontal disease, the disease process is not reversible. However, it can be controlled with professional dental treatments and regular home care.  Professional treatment of Stage 2 and Stage 3 disease involves deep subgingival scaling and application of local antimicrobials. Once Stage 4 disease has occurred, affected teeth must be treated surgically, either by extraction or by treatment with advanced salvage procedures.

Most pet owners don’t realize that their pets have dental disease until they have reached Stage 3 or Stage 4 periodontal disease, when bone loss has already begun. Regular wellness visits to your veterinarian are important so that dental disease can be identified early, and a dental care plan can be initiated before damage becomes irreversible.

Dr. Kelly Sulik owns and operates Animobile Mobile Veterinary Services in Tryon, N.C. She can be reached at animobiledvm@gmail.com.