Anti bacterial products (Aquadent - left)
Most pet dental care products contain an antibacterial agent to reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth. Bacteria contribute to bad breath and plaque formation.

Brushing
Daily brushing of your pet’s teeth is the best home dental care. Pets take time to get used to brushing and should be started off gradually with a soft finger brush and warm water, later progressing to a soft brush and pet tooth paste. Even if you can’t do it daily, once or twice a week will also be of benefit.

Caries
These are holes / cavities in teeth. They are very uncommon in dogs and cats due to the fact that their saliva has a higher PH, which prevents damage to the tooth enamel. Teeth with caries are extracted. Fillings would need to be done by a Veterinary dental specialist.

Dentition (images - below)
Dogs and cats are like us. They get two sets of teeth during their life. The deciduous teeth start erupting at about 5 weeks of age, and are replaced by the adult teeth by 7 months of age.

Puppies have 28 teeth and adult dogs 42 (bottom left)
Kittens have 26 teeth and adult cats 30 (bottom right)

Extractions
If your pet’s teeth or gums become too badly infected, teeth will need to be extracted under general anaesthetic. We never extract teeth that do not need to come out. The canine teeth have roots that are almost as long as the crown of the tooth, and can require the gum to be cut to allow them to be removed completely. The molars have 2 to3 roots, and often have to be sectioned to allow all roots to be removed. Your pet will receive antibiotics and pain killers after an extraction.

Food (image - left)
What your pet eats will affect it’s dental health. Wet foods are more likely to cling around the mouth and cause dental disease. Many of the premium pet foods have “dental care” added to their foods. This “dental care” can be in the shape and formation of the kibble, or ingredients used in the coating, such as sodium polyphosphate to bind calcium, and green tea polyphenals.

Gingivitis
Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums caused by plaque. This is often the first sign of periodontal disease.

Heart
Periodontal disease has been proven to increase the risk of coronary heart disease in humans, and this is also true in dogs. Bacteria from the mouth enter the blood stream and can affect organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. So dental disease is not just about a sore mouth or smelly breath… it can be life threatening!

Incisors
These are the six small teeth, top and bottom, at the front of the mouth. They are used for shearing and grooming. They are the first deciduous teeth to be replaced with adult teeth.

Jaw
The top jaw is made up of the incisive bone at the front, and the maxilla. The lower jaw is the mandible. With severe periodontal disease, the infection and inflammation can affect the jaw bone loosening the cement, which holds the tooth in place, causing the tooth to fall out.

Kiss ability
Can you kiss Fluffy?? Most pets suffer from halitosis, which can be caused by diet, but is most often due to periodontal disease. Home dental care that involves decreasing the amount of bacteria in the mouth should help. We have pet toothpastes, oral rinses and gels that can assist. If the periodontal disease is more severe, a Dental Scale and Polish under anaesthetic may be recommended

Longitudinal extrusion (image - left)
This technique is used by some of the Premium Dental foods on the market. Rather than the traditional extrusion method of producing dog kibbles which have fibers in a haphazard way, longitudinal extrusion has them all running the same way. This makes the kibble softer and chewier, which means the teeth sink in further, resulting in “brushing” when they chew. The oral care kibbles are larger than most, which means they need to be chewed before they are swallowed, to give full benefit.

Molars and premolars
These are the grinding teeth at the back of the mouth.
At the top, dogs have four pre molars each side, and two molars. At the bottom, they have the same amount of premolars, and three molars.
At the top, cats have three premolars each side, and one molar. At the bottom, they have two premolars, and the same amount of molars.

Nasal discharge
Severe periodontal disease of the upper canine teeth can cause the thin bone between the tooth and the nasal cavity to be eroded. This hole is called an oral-nasal fistula. Dogs with these have a nasal discharge of blood and/or pus. There may be some sneezing, and the nose / jaw area will be tender.

Osteoclastic resorptive lesions
It is not known what causes this very painful condition in cats. Plaque that causes inflammation, and autoimmune disease, are thought to be involved. The tooth enamel is eroded exposing the pulp (blood vessels and nerves) which is very sore. In some cases, the whole crown of the tooth can be eaten away, just leaving a root. The treatment for this is extraction of all affected teeth or roots that have been left behind. Cats with very sore mouths may be aggressive or withdrawn. Their eating habits will change.

Periodontal disease
Did you know that 85% of dogs and cats over 2 years of age have periodontal disease!! Scary fact! Some pets never seem to develop a severe problem, even if they live to 14, while others need veterinary treatment by the time they are 2 years old.

Questions
Our staff are here to help and advise you, so please ask any questions that you may have.

Retained deciduous teeth
Dogs and cats are like us. They have two sets of teeth. They should loose their deciduous (baby teeth) by six months of age. In many smaller breeds of dogs (Yorkies, Toy Poms etc.) the baby teeth are often not pushed out by the adult ones. When this happens, the adult teeth can come through badly.
The retained deciduous teeth must be extracted under anaesthetic, which is usually done at the time the pet is sterilised.

Scale and Polish (image - left)
This is carried out under anesthetic. A dental scale and polish is recommended before starting home dental care if there is severe periodontal disease causing a sore mouth. At Valley Farm Animal Hospital we have an ultrasonic scaler, high speed drill and polisher, as well as all of the necessary hand instruments to give a very thorough clean and remove any problem teeth. When using an ultrasonic scaler it is essential that the teeth are polished with a low speed polisher as scaling leaves microscopic cracks in the tooth that collect bacteria and debris. If these are not polished out, the build up of plaque will be much faster than normal.

Tartar (image - left)
Tartar is the hard yellow stuff on teeth around the gum margin. Plaque combines with calcium salts to form tartar. This can only be removed by dental scaling.

Upper back pre molar – Carnassial tooth
The fourth premolar of the upper jaw is the biggest tooth in the mouth, which has three roots.
When you see your dog put it’s head on one side when chewing a toy or a treat, he is using his carnassial to help grind and tear.

Vet Aquadent
This fantastic new product is a solution that is added to the pet’s drinking water to fight plaque and bad breath. Just one cap full added to 250ml of drinking water is sufficient. The Vet Aquadent will remain effective for up to 48 hours in the water. If your dog drinks more than 250ml in a day, it is only necessary to medicate the first bowl of water for that day. This product is odorless and tasteless. This makes it especially great for fussy cats that will not let you handle them for brushing etc.

White
The colour your pet’s teeth should be!

Xtra care from us to you
We offer FREE nurse dental checks for your pet. Please make an appointment with reception. Our nurses will check over your pet’s teeth, advise you on home dental care, and even show you how to brush.

Y wait? Start home care now!
(image - left)
You can start home dental care right now! Start getting your pet used to having it’s mouth handled. Open up it’s mouth and have a look at the teeth - Are they brown? Is there any calculus? Are the gums red or bleeding? Use your finger and run it over the outside of the teeth and inside the cheek.
When you can handle your pet’s mouth without too many objections, you can start with a tooth brush and paste. If their mouth is very sore please come and see one of our nurses before starting home dental care.

Zinc
Zinc is added to some premium pet foods to prevent the formation of volatile sulphur, which is one of the causes of bad breath, and it also has an antibacterial effect.