Dogs (and cats to some extent) come in so many different sizes and shapes, that there's really no "one size fits all" recommendation when it comes to profession dental health care. Some large breed dogs who chew well and have lots of room in their mouth for their teeth never have to have their teeth cleaned. Some small breed dogs with crowded teeth and poor genetics have to have them done so regularly that it seems they never have clean teeth! So how does a veterinarian and pet owner decide when to have the animal undergo anesthesia for a profession dental procedure?
To help with this process the pet owner needs to answer a couple of questions. First, what is the goal for your pet? If it's to maintain all of their existing teeth in a healthy state for as long as possible, then frequent teeth cleanings are necessary. We have a dachshund patient who demonstrates this need well. Despite home care (we'll talk about this in a second) he builds tartar very rapidly, and requires annual teeth cleanings to keep his gum health up to snuff. Fortunately, at almost 6 years of age he's not had to have a single tooth extracted! That's kind of unusual for the breed, so we are showing success with this particular patient.
The second question to ask yourself is, how much home care are you doing? Home care is really important in maintaining good oral health and can help reduce the frequency of professional dental treatment procedures. Ideally the teeth should be brushed every day, after a cleaning you should apply a weekly barrier sealant wax that helps prevent plaque accumulation (we recommend Oravet), and consider a water additive that reduces plaque (the only natural water additive with clinical trials proving it actually works is HealthyMouth). Even with these home care measures some pets still need regular cleanings to maintain good gingival health. The dachshund mentioned previously has his teeth brushed often (although the owner admits it's not daily), drinks water with HealthyMouth, and they use Oravet.
The third question is about money, and can you afford to do all of this? Of course it's not cheap to have the teeth cleaned! If you have a small dog, you will eventually have to invest in their oral health care. The cost of the cleaning procedure is significantly less if there is less disease and no extractions required. If you wait, the cost goes up. Sometimes situations arise where a pet owner can't have the teeth cleaned when it's needed. If that happens to you, just realize that when you do get your pet in for a procedure there may be multiple teeth that need extraction.
Ultimately the decision to have the teeth cleaned is one made with your veterinarian's advice and based off an oral examination. There's a new test available now called OraStrip, which is a little pad that picks up on bacterial compounds that are present in a mouth that has periodontal disease. This test strip can help you and your veterinarian decide if there is a need for a teeth cleaning.
Author Sarah Bashaw can be reached at El Dorado Animal Hospital, a full service, state-of-the-art veterinary clinic designed with client comfort and patient care in mind.
Call El Dorado Animal Hospital for your appointment today (480) 837-0800 or visit our website http://www.eldoradoanimalhospital.com
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