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Your Pet's Dental Health
Fifteen years ago, veterinarians paid only casual attention to the
condition of their patients' mouths. Since then, with the recognition of the
importance of dental health as it relates to an animal's general well
being, the field of veterinary dentistry has been considerably advanced.
Specialists can now perform procedures formerly in the exclusive realm
of their counterparts in human dentistry. Endodontics (root canal),
orthodontics, and periodontics are among the treatments available to
animals.
General practitioners are looking for and identifying dental disease. Most
are able to offer at least the more routine services such as cleanings and
simple extractions. As the number of veterinary dentists grows,
treatment for the more complicated problems is becoming more widely
accessible.
As might be guessed, operating in an animal's mouth almost always
requires the use of general anesthesia. Older animals frequently suffer
from dental problems. Before undertaking anesthesia in these patients,
prudence and the standards of good care demand that some type of
pre-anesthetic work-up be completed. The scope of these work-ups will
vary and will depend on the overall health of the animal. Minimally,
blood tests will be run, but an evaluation may include an EKG, cardiac
ultrasound, and/or x-rays.
Many people are understandably uneasy having their pets anesthetized.
Nonetheless, it should be understood that when the proper precautions
are taken, disastrous outcomes are very rare. It is frustrating and
troubling when a pet owner's anxiety about anesthesia prevents the
correction of a painful dental condition.
Most often the successful treatment or control of dental disease
requires the active involvement of the pet's owner. Animals are usually
discharged with any of a variety of rinses, gels, or pastes, which should
be regularly applied to maximize results. Doing so often tests both
patience and ingenuity. Special types of dry food have recently been
formulated that can actually remove existing tartar from an animal's teeth
and prevent its return.
The outward signs of dental disease are often not obvious. It isn't
unusual for a pet to simply grow more subdued in response to oral pain.
The quantity of food consumed may be unchanged as the animal only
avoids eating on the painful side of the mouth -something the average
person is apt not to notice. This is why a good oral exam is an essential
part of every general examination conducted in a vet's office.
On the other hand, there may be unmistakable indications of a dental
problem. If a pet suddenly refuses to eat the hard food or treats he has
always enjoyed, if she recoils from gentle petting around her mouth, or if
there is excessive drooling or halitosis, the owner should seek prompt professional attention.
by J. Fisch, D.V.M.
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