Keeping our dogs healthy does require performing some unflattering tasks \u2014 like daily poop patrol in the backyard and the often-avoided regular brushing of teeth. It\u2019s time to step up the dental care of our dogs \u2014 for the sake of their health and for maintaining the size of your wallet. Win-win, right?<\/p>\n
With the help of two leading veterinary dentists \u2014 Dr. Debra Nossaman and Dr. Ben Colmery III \u2014 Dogster identified key dental issues facing dogs of all ages and sizes. \u201cDogs can be so good at hiding pain, so that by the time a person realizes something is wrong with their dog, the problem may be advanced,\u201d says Dr. Nossaman, a board-certified veterinary dentist and co-founder of the Dallas Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Texas.<\/p>\n
Dr. Colmery, a board-certified veterinary dentist who co-founded the American Veterinary Dental Society and who owns the Dixboro Veterinary Dental clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan, adds, \u201cWhen we can find the issue in the mouth and fix it, the dog has a new lease on life.\u201d Here\u2019s the rundown on the top dental issues and how to deal with them:<\/p>\n
Red Swollen Gums<\/h3>\n
As a rule, healthy gums should be bubblegum pink, but they can also have pigmentation that\u2019s black or sports black spots. But swollen, red and painful gums signal gingivitis, a condition caused by a buildup of bacteria and tartar on the teeth.<\/p>\n
The solution calls for a veterinarian to take dental X-rays, study them and then conduct a thorough teeth cleaning while your dog is under anesthesia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have made quantum leaps in the improvement of anesthesia and sedation in veterinary dentistry,\u201d says Dr. Colmery. \u201cGiving pain medication before, during and after dental procedures has been shown to speed recovery and lessen the level of general anesthesia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Nossaman adds, \u201cWhen you can see the rim next to the teeth get red and inflamed, that is gingivitis and the teeth need to be professionally cleaned. Don\u2019t wait for severe gingivitis to occur, because your dog will be at risk for bone loss or painful, periodontal pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tartar Buildup & Yellowing Teeth<\/h3>\n
Your dog can avoid this condition if you brush his teeth daily or at least weekly. You do not always have to wrestle your dog to pry open his mouth and then wiggle in a toothpaste-coated toothbrush to reach the back molars.<\/p>\n
You can just wrap a washcloth with dog-safe tooth-paste around your index finger and rub inside the cheek surfaces on both sides to remove the scum off the out-side of the teeth. And then reward your dog with a treat.<\/p>\n
Dentists casually call this the \u201cflip the lip\u201d procedure.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake this a happy event,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cDon\u2019t try to pry the mouth open. Dogs have five muscle groups working to try to close the mouth; expect them to wiggle and resist. By rubbing inside the cheeks, you can remove about 80% of what you need to remove and let the dog\u2019s tongue take the toothpaste to work on the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dreaded Doggie Breath<\/h3>\n
Turning your head and holding your breath may be your go-to choice, but that action doesn\u2019t help your dog. Instead, be a pet detective and report what you see inside your dog\u2019s mouth, and describe the yucky odor to your veterinarian pronto.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than 400 types of bacteria have been identified in the oral cavities of companion animals,\u201d Dr. Colmery says. \u201cThat odor comes from two main places: something wrong inside the mouth or something wrong inside the GI (gastrointestinal tract).<\/p>\n
\u201dYour dog\u2019s foul breath will not disappear on its own.<\/p>\n
\u201cBad breath is a sign of poor oral health and should be addressed promptly,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. Talk with your veterinarian about your dog\u2019s diet, and consider adding good bacteria in the form of probiotics.<\/p>\n
Broken Teeth<\/h3>\n
Dogs have reputations for being chewers. What you select for them to chomp on may be the difference between intact teeth and broken teeth.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo the knee test,\u201d Dr. Colmery suggests. \u201cIf you hit your dog\u2019s chew against your knee and it hurts, it is not a good idea to give to your dog to chew on. Chews should be pliable and have some give. When the chew is too hard, it does not give, and the chewing action between the upper and lower molars can cause broken teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n
A telltale clue something is seriously wrong is if you notice your dog is suddenly chewing food on one side of his mouth, Dr. Nossaman adds.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the pulp of the broken tooth is exposed, you might see blood,\u201d she says. \u201cIf your dog is dropping pieces of kibble at mealtime or not playing with his toys or engaging you in tug-of-war, he may be dealing with a broken tooth issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
Depending on the situation, the tooth will need to be surgically removed or fitted with a metal crown.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/teeth-600x220.png\")
<\/p>\nMetal Crowns – Front and Side View.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Overcrowded Teeth<\/h3>\n
Dogs, no matter the size, should sport 42 adult teeth. But small breeds with smaller jaws face more issues with teeth crowding together. Dogs with pushed-in faces, like Pugs, Bulldogs and Shih Tzu, often need to have some teeth removed to maintain a healthy bite.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially with small dogs, crowding requires us to identify which teeth are important and which teeth we can say bye-bye to and remove,\u201d Dr. Colmery says.<\/p>\n
Fractured Jaw<\/h3>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we see this far too often in which a big dog crushes a little dog\u2019s jaw in a fight,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cOr a dog will get kicked in the face by a horse or get his head caught in a gate.\u201d<\/p>\n
Repair calls for surgery to wire the jaw in place to give it time to heal. \u201cFortunately, a dog\u2019s jaw does not need metal plates and it is pretty forgiving.\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Oral Mass<\/h3>\n
Regularly looking inside your dog\u2019s mouth can help you spot an over-growth of gum tissue, better known as an oral mass or oral tumor. Tumors can be both benign or cancerous and can develop slowly or quickly, Dr. Colmery says.<\/p>\n
Oral masses can also indicate that your dog is dealing with health issues beyond the mouth, such as diabetes or kidney disease.<\/p>\n
Retained Baby Teeth<\/h3>\n
\u201cThe general rule is that no two teeth should occupy the same space at the same time,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cUnaddressed, it can impact the dog\u2019s bite and cause movement of the teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another concern: Baby teeth can cause infection that will impact the ability of the adult tooth to poke through the gumline and take its designated position in the mouth.<\/p>\n
Surgical removal of the stubborn baby teeth may be necessary.<\/p>\n
Tooth Crowns<\/h3>\n
Due to having some pointy teeth, dogs rarely develop cavities. However, any tooth \u2014 in a person or a dog \u2014 can chip. Most of the cases requiring the fitting of metal crowns on dogs tend to involve police dogs or military dogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do metal crown work on dogs who need to do bite work,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cThe crown does not make the tooth stronger, but it does offer some tooth protection.\u201d<\/p>\n
But sometimes veterinary dentists insert cast metal alloy crowns to repair fractured or damaged teeth. These crowns are purposely placed just above the gumline to help maintain good oral hygiene.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/teeth-cleaning.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The post Top 9 Doggie Dental Issues<\/a> by Arden Moore<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Top 9 Doggie Dental Issues<\/a> by Arden Moore<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Keeping our dogs healthy does require performing some unflattering tasks \u2014 like daily poop patrol in the backyard and the often-avoided regular brushing of teeth. It\u2019s time to step up the dental care of our dogs \u2014 for the sake of their health and for maintaining the size of your wallet. Win-win, right?<\/p>\n With the help of two leading veterinary dentists \u2014 Dr. Debra Nossaman and Dr. Ben Colmery III \u2014 Dogster identified key dental issues facing dogs of all ages and sizes. \u201cDogs can be so good at hiding pain, so that by the time a person realizes something is wrong with their dog, the problem may be advanced,\u201d says Dr. Nossaman, a board-certified veterinary dentist and co-founder of the Dallas Veterinary Dentistry and Oral Surgery in Texas.<\/p>\n Dr. Colmery, a board-certified veterinary dentist who co-founded the American Veterinary Dental Society and who owns the Dixboro Veterinary Dental clinic in Ann Arbor, Michigan, adds, \u201cWhen we can find the issue in the mouth and fix it, the dog has a new lease on life.\u201d Here\u2019s the rundown on the top dental issues and how to deal with them:<\/p>\n As a rule, healthy gums should be bubblegum pink, but they can also have pigmentation that\u2019s black or sports black spots. But swollen, red and painful gums signal gingivitis, a condition caused by a buildup of bacteria and tartar on the teeth.<\/p>\n The solution calls for a veterinarian to take dental X-rays, study them and then conduct a thorough teeth cleaning while your dog is under anesthesia.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have made quantum leaps in the improvement of anesthesia and sedation in veterinary dentistry,\u201d says Dr. Colmery. \u201cGiving pain medication before, during and after dental procedures has been shown to speed recovery and lessen the level of general anesthesia.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Nossaman adds, \u201cWhen you can see the rim next to the teeth get red and inflamed, that is gingivitis and the teeth need to be professionally cleaned. Don\u2019t wait for severe gingivitis to occur, because your dog will be at risk for bone loss or painful, periodontal pockets.\u201d<\/p>\n Your dog can avoid this condition if you brush his teeth daily or at least weekly. You do not always have to wrestle your dog to pry open his mouth and then wiggle in a toothpaste-coated toothbrush to reach the back molars.<\/p>\n You can just wrap a washcloth with dog-safe tooth-paste around your index finger and rub inside the cheek surfaces on both sides to remove the scum off the out-side of the teeth. And then reward your dog with a treat.<\/p>\n Dentists casually call this the \u201cflip the lip\u201d procedure.<\/p>\n \u201cMake this a happy event,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cDon\u2019t try to pry the mouth open. Dogs have five muscle groups working to try to close the mouth; expect them to wiggle and resist. By rubbing inside the cheeks, you can remove about 80% of what you need to remove and let the dog\u2019s tongue take the toothpaste to work on the inside.\u201d<\/p>\n Turning your head and holding your breath may be your go-to choice, but that action doesn\u2019t help your dog. Instead, be a pet detective and report what you see inside your dog\u2019s mouth, and describe the yucky odor to your veterinarian pronto.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than 400 types of bacteria have been identified in the oral cavities of companion animals,\u201d Dr. Colmery says. \u201cThat odor comes from two main places: something wrong inside the mouth or something wrong inside the GI (gastrointestinal tract).<\/p>\n \u201dYour dog\u2019s foul breath will not disappear on its own.<\/p>\n \u201cBad breath is a sign of poor oral health and should be addressed promptly,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. Talk with your veterinarian about your dog\u2019s diet, and consider adding good bacteria in the form of probiotics.<\/p>\n Dogs have reputations for being chewers. What you select for them to chomp on may be the difference between intact teeth and broken teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cDo the knee test,\u201d Dr. Colmery suggests. \u201cIf you hit your dog\u2019s chew against your knee and it hurts, it is not a good idea to give to your dog to chew on. Chews should be pliable and have some give. When the chew is too hard, it does not give, and the chewing action between the upper and lower molars can cause broken teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n A telltale clue something is seriously wrong is if you notice your dog is suddenly chewing food on one side of his mouth, Dr. Nossaman adds.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the pulp of the broken tooth is exposed, you might see blood,\u201d she says. \u201cIf your dog is dropping pieces of kibble at mealtime or not playing with his toys or engaging you in tug-of-war, he may be dealing with a broken tooth issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Depending on the situation, the tooth will need to be surgically removed or fitted with a metal crown.<\/p>\n Metal Crowns – Front and Side View.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dogs, no matter the size, should sport 42 adult teeth. But small breeds with smaller jaws face more issues with teeth crowding together. Dogs with pushed-in faces, like Pugs, Bulldogs and Shih Tzu, often need to have some teeth removed to maintain a healthy bite.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially with small dogs, crowding requires us to identify which teeth are important and which teeth we can say bye-bye to and remove,\u201d Dr. Colmery says.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, we see this far too often in which a big dog crushes a little dog\u2019s jaw in a fight,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cOr a dog will get kicked in the face by a horse or get his head caught in a gate.\u201d<\/p>\n Repair calls for surgery to wire the jaw in place to give it time to heal. \u201cFortunately, a dog\u2019s jaw does not need metal plates and it is pretty forgiving.\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Regularly looking inside your dog\u2019s mouth can help you spot an over-growth of gum tissue, better known as an oral mass or oral tumor. Tumors can be both benign or cancerous and can develop slowly or quickly, Dr. Colmery says.<\/p>\n Oral masses can also indicate that your dog is dealing with health issues beyond the mouth, such as diabetes or kidney disease.<\/p>\n \u201cThe general rule is that no two teeth should occupy the same space at the same time,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cUnaddressed, it can impact the dog\u2019s bite and cause movement of the teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n Another concern: Baby teeth can cause infection that will impact the ability of the adult tooth to poke through the gumline and take its designated position in the mouth.<\/p>\n Surgical removal of the stubborn baby teeth may be necessary.<\/p>\n Due to having some pointy teeth, dogs rarely develop cavities. However, any tooth \u2014 in a person or a dog \u2014 can chip. Most of the cases requiring the fitting of metal crowns on dogs tend to involve police dogs or military dogs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do metal crown work on dogs who need to do bite work,\u201d Dr. Nossaman says. \u201cThe crown does not make the tooth stronger, but it does offer some tooth protection.\u201d<\/p>\n But sometimes veterinary dentists insert cast metal alloy crowns to repair fractured or damaged teeth. These crowns are purposely placed just above the gumline to help maintain good oral hygiene.<\/p>\n The post Top 9 Doggie Dental Issues<\/a> by Arden Moore<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nRed Swollen Gums<\/h3>\n
Tartar Buildup & Yellowing Teeth<\/h3>\n
Dreaded Doggie Breath<\/h3>\n
Broken Teeth<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nOvercrowded Teeth<\/h3>\n
Fractured Jaw<\/h3>\n
Oral Mass<\/h3>\n
Retained Baby Teeth<\/h3>\n
Tooth Crowns<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n