Dental Health

| Progressing from Health to Disease | Open Wide! | Periodontal Disease |

Welcome to our Dental Health area! Your guides throughout this page will be....

Teddy and Star will show you some really cool things about your pet's teeth and how to care for them. To begin your tour scroll down through this page or click on the quick links at the top of the page.

Progressing from Health to Disease

Dogs and cats, like humans, are given 2 sets of teeth during their lives. Puppies and kittens start to get their first teeth (technically called “primary,” “temporary” or “deciduous” teeth) around 2-3 weeks of age and by weaning time (around 6-8 weeks of age), they have their full set of these teeth. The primary teeth are lost as the permanent or “secondary” teeth erupt and replace them. This starts around 4 months of age and, by 6 months of age, all of the permanent teeth are present.

Mother Nature has deemed that normal number of primary teeth for a puppy to be 28 and for a kitten to be 26 with the secondary tooth numbers to be 42 in the dog and 30 in the cat. However, with humans intervening to produce different breeds of dogs and cats, there are individual variations to the dates of tooth eruption and the number to teeth that may be present. Contrary to popular belief, puppies (or kittens) don't "chew" and "bite" just because they are teething...but this is a topic for another time (and web page).

By 2 years of age a large majority of cats and dogs have significant build-up of plaque on their teeth. Plaque is the soft accumulation of material on teeth that results from a combining of bacteria, protein, and food particles. Plaque hardens as it mixes with the minerals in saliva. This hard material is called tartar or calculus. As calculus forms along the gum line, the gums are irritated and they become swollen and red. At this point we have the first stage of dental disease which is called “gingivitis. It is estimated that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats suffer from some stage of gum disease by the time they are 3 years old. Gingivitis proceeds to periodontal disease. At this point gums start to separate from the tooth and pockets form that trap more bacteria and food particles. This process worsens until the pockets are deep enough to attack the tooth root and/or the bone that holds the tooth in place. This is full-blown, periodontal disease. At this point the tooth needs to be extracted and the infection in the gums and bone needs to be treated aggressively.

In humans it has been shown that the bacteria are released from these pockets each time we bite on something. The bloodstream carries them far from the mouth through major organ systems, muscles and joints. These bacteria must be killed and removed by our immune system. It is suspected that the same thing happens in animals. If the immune system is over-whelmed or is busy fighting some other infection, the bacteria may cause infection in any of the organs through which they pass. Although infections are treatable, especially if found early, it is not impossible for permanent damage to occur.

Can this sequence of events be slowed down and, possibly, even stopped?

YOU BETCHA!!! Just as with us, the keys are a combination of regular dental care at home and professional dental (veterinary) care.

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Open Wide!

If your cat or dog opened his mouth all the way, this is how his teeth would appear:

WOW! Cats and dogs have a lot of teeth to take care of. Adult cats have 30. Adult dogs have 42. Adult humans only have 32.

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Periodontal Disease

Does your pet have Periodontal Disease?

Star, this is a healthy tooth. The gums are attached tightly to the tooth root. What do you think of these other teeth?		Oh, Teddy! My mouth would hurt if my teeth looked like these others.
Stage 1: Gingivitis. Margins of attached gums are inflamed and swollen. Plaque covering teeth. Treatment can reverse conditions.
Stage 2: Early Periodontitis. Entire attached gum is inflamed and swollen. Mouth is painful and odor begins to be noticed. Professional treatment and home dental care can prevent this from being irreversible.
Stage 3: Moderate Periodontitis. Cherry red bleeding attached gums are being destroyed by infection and tartar. Sore mouth can affect eating and behavior. Bad breath present. May become irreversible.
Stage 4: Advanced Periodontitis. Chronic bacterial infection is destroying the gum, tooth and bone. Bacteria may be spreading throughout the entire body via the bloodstream and may damage organs.

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| Progressing from Health to Disease | Open Wide! | Periodontal Disease |