DENTAL CARE

Unlike its human owner whose major dental problem is cavities, the dog seldom develops cavities. However, the dog is not without a major dental problem. In fact, the most common dental problem we find in dogs is usually considered far worse than cavities. It is called "periodontal disease." Periodontal disease affects not the teeth themselves, but the gums and other tissues surrounding the teeth. About 75 percent of all dental problems serious enough to be seen by a veterinarian and almost all teeth lost in adult dogs are the result of periodontal disease. Furthermore, periodontal disease is probably associated with 95 percent of all cases of bad breath in dogs. In advanced cases, periodontal disease results in infected, foul-smelling, loosened teeth, massive, unsightly accumulations of tartar and a total loss of appetite. Even such remote symptoms as diarrhea, vomiting and irritability may be the result of long-standing periodontal disease.

WHAT IS PERIODONTAL DISEASE?

At the point where the tooth meets the gum, a narrow groove is formed. This groove creates a channel which easily becomes filled with soft or semi-solid food material. (Figure 1) When this becomes mixed with saliva and the numerous mouth bacteria, it becomes the base for dental plaque, which consists of soft bacterial deposits that adhere to the teeth. (Figure 2)

The Four Stages of Periodontal Disease
Stage One: When first formed, plaque is soft, and adheres lightly to the teeth. This plaque can be removed easily by brushing or other mechanical means such as chewing hard foods. If dental plaque is not removed, solutions of chalk-like material from saliva will precipitate in the plaque, forming a hard substance called tartar (also known as dental calculus). (Figure 3. See next page.) Plaque is a perfect place for bacteria to multiply and grow. As these bacteria multiply, armies of bacteria fighting cells invade the gums around the tooth and cause the gums to become red and inflamed.

Stage Two: Tartar (calculus), as it accumulates, acts as a wedge separating the tooth from the gum, allowing further plaque buildup below the gum line. This results in a cycle of greater tartar build-up, and even more plaque accumulation. At this point, a good dental scaling by your veterinarian will halt the progress of periodontal disease in your dog's mouth. However, unless you regularly exercise appropriate dental hygiene afterward, the plaque and tartar (calculus) formations will soon reappear.

Stage Three: If the build up of plaque and tartar (together sometimes called dental tartar) continues uninterrupted, dead bacteria and bacteria fighting cells will accumulate to form a pocket of pus along the root of the tooth. This pocket further separates the gum from the tooth. (Figure 4) Into this space more food debris can become impacted.

Stage Four: The cycle continuously repeats itself, each time with greater tartar deposits and more gum separation. Ultimately, this accumulating debris becomes so toxic that it actually kills the tissues surrounding the diseased tooth, and the thin bony walls that hold the tooth in place begin to erode. (Figure 5) Unattended, the condition becomes progressively worse. Eventually, the erosion process involves the tooth's entire bony cup and, lacking sufficient attachment, the tooth falls out. (Figure 6. See next page.) Now the hole is large enough for the dog to keep clean with his tongue, so the food debris and pus disappear, the inflammation subsides, and the hole fills in with scar tissue.

WHAT CAUSES PERIODONTAL DISEASE?

Periodontal disease does not have any single cause. Instead, it usually is produced by some combination of potentially contributing factors.

Possible contributing factors are:

1. Soft or semi-moist diets.
2. Presence of dental plaque.
3. Advancing age.
4. Breed (certain breeds/heredity).
5. Oral injuries, including traumatic injuries (biting, rock-chewing, etc.) and chemical injuries.
6. Abnormal dental occlusion.