Dental health is just as important for dogs as it is for humans. Poor oral hygiene can lead to painful dental disease, tooth loss, and even systemic health issues affecting the heart, liver, and kidneys. By 2 years of age, over 80% of dogs (and cats!) show signs of periodontal disease, which progresses if left untreated.
Good dental care helps prevent:
- Bad breath caused by plaque and tartar buildup
- Oral pain from infections and inflammation
- Organ damage due to bacteria entering the bloodstream
- Progressive dental disease. Routine professional dental care is imperative in preventing tooth loss by keeping the structures supporting teeth healthy
Your dog’s dental health is just as important as your own. One of the best ways to ensure your dog has optimal dental health and no hidden painful problems is to take them for regular teeth cleanings. Plaque will form on teeth within minutes and, in roughly 72 hours, transforms into dental calculus (tartar). Plaque and calculus accumulation near the gumline leads to gingivitis or red gums.
Gingivitis will eventually progress to periodontitis as chronic inflammation causes loss of the supporting structures of the tooth. Dental disease can cause abnormal changes in the liver, kidney and heart. Unfortunately, a prescription course of antibiotics does not rectify this. Dental care is imperative to treat the root cause (pun intended!)
At what age should you start getting your dog’s teeth cleaned?
Most dogs and cats should have their first dental cleaning at 2-3 years of age. Small breed dogs should receive a professional cleaning, also referred to as a COHAT, no later than two years of age. You don’t want to wait much longer than this, as signs of periodontal disease are commonly seen by these ages. Even if your pet has very little calculus (tartar) visible, there are frequently painful problems hidden under the gumline that can only be found with a detailed exam and dental imaging.
What is the teeth cleaning process for dogs?
Dogs have 42 teeth, and each one should be cleaned and evaluated during a COHAT procedure. COHAT is an acronym for Comprehensive Oral Assessment and Treatment as the term ‘dental cleaning’ underestimates the oral care needed in the majority of patients. Anesthesia is required for any dental care in veterinary patients. Before treatment, blood tests should be run in order to make sure there are no issues that might affect the safety of anesthesia.
After your dog is under anesthesia, the procedure is relatively similar to a human’s dental cleaning procedure, using a variety of instruments to remove plaque and tartar and polish the teeth. Full mouth imaging is imperative. A large number of veterinary patients have painful problems hidden under the gumline that can only be identified with dental x-rays and cone beam CT imaging.
Following the procedure, your dog will be watched closely until they are fully awake and able to walk, and then you can take him home! At home after the procedure, your dog may be sleepy for a few hours, but will usually eat a normal dinner that night.
Can you clean a dog’s teeth without anesthesia?
This is a great question that deserves a thorough answer. Despite the claims of businesses that claim to provide dog teeth cleanings without anesthesia, it is simply not possible to provide meaningful care to veterinary patients if they are awake. These services prey on an owner’s fear of anesthesia to provide a substandard service that has very little benefit for their pet. Without anesthesia, all that can be accomplished is the removal of most (not all) of the calculus that is visible above the gumline.
But calculus above the gumline does not cause much problem for your pet! It is the calculus under the gumline and crowded between the teeth that causes the problems. In addition, you cannot perform a detailed dental exam or obtain dental X-rays on conscious veterinary patients, so many problems will be missed completely, while they might still be treatable. Consider the amount of cooperation that human patients provide while their teeth are cleaned. We are totally cooperative, with our mouths open wide, for around an hour.
What are the odds that a veterinary patient, with more disease than the average person, will provide that level of cooperation? They simply won’t. Because they do not require trained staff, anesthetic drugs and equipment, or a dedicated facility to provide their services, these anesthesia-free cleaning services are incredibly profitable for the business owner. If this service had any value, every veterinary dentist would have their well-trained staff performing cleanings without anesthesia. There is not a single veterinary dentist in the US who offers this service.
Anesthesia should concern owners, but when it is done correctly, the risk is very low. Before your pet is treated, ask your veterinarian about how they monitor their anesthetized patients and what their safety record is. Clinics that do a good job are more than happy to discuss anesthesia with their clients. At Montana Pet Dentistry and Oral Surgery, we not only have team members highly trained in anesthesia, but we also work with a veterinary anesthesiologist who can help design anesthetic plans pending need and urgency. A dedicated nurse anesthetist is present for every patient along with Dr. Guillory and a procedure technician who cleans the teeth and obtains dental imaging.
How often should my dog get teeth cleanings?
Most veterinary dentists recommend professional teeth cleanings once a year for most breeds, but a few individuals, especially smaller breeds, may need 2 visits per year to prevent loss of teeth. After a cleaning, your veterinarian can recommend the appropriate cleaning interval for your pet.
Keeping Your Dog’s Teeth Healthy Between Teeth Cleanings
At home, you can do your part to maintain your dog’s oral health. Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly, along with other home care products, can pay big dividends. You can also give your dog approved dental chews and dental treats to help remove plaque from your dog’s teeth. You should avoid hard chew toys such as cow hooves, hard plastic bones, real bones and antlers. While dogs love to chew on these objects, they frequently fracture their chewing teeth, resulting in painful infection of these fractured teeth.
The harder chew toys do help keep plaque and calculus accumulations down, but are not worth the risk. Appropriate chew toys should be slightly bendable to prevent damage to the teeth. Regardless of what chew toys you provide, your pet should be supervised while they are chewing, and any smaller pieces that could be swallowed should be taken away.
Dog Teeth Cleanings in Montana
Dr. Guillory is a board-certified veterinary dentist in Bozeman and is highly experienced in treating dental disease in dogs. If you suspect that your dog has a dental infection, all you need to do is call our Bozeman office and schedule an appointment.