Dental Health

Dental health involves not just how clean your pet’s teeth are, but also the alignment of their teeth and jaws, and how healthy their gums are.

Well-aligned teeth

· Overcrowded teeth, an under-or over-shot jaw and malocclusion (a mouth that can't close properly), can all cause problems for your pet

Trapped food, plaque and tartar can build up between overcrowded teeth
Teeth in the wrong position can impact on the gums or palate, causing pain and increasing risk of infection
In animals (eg rabbits) where the teeth grow constantly, malocclusion can cause painful hooks and spurs to form on the teeth, and can stop your pet from eating and grooming

· Abnormal dentition (eg retained baby teeth) can cause problems for similar reasons

· Some breeds can be more at risk of dental problems

Clean teeth

· Plaque and tartar building up on teeth can damage dental health

It provides a place where bugs can flourish
It can lead to damaged or inflamed gums (called gingivitis) and periodontal disease (a major cause of tooth root infections/abscesses and tooth loss)

Healthy gums

· Gums protect the roots of the teeth from damage and infection

· Inflamed or ulcerated gums can be extremely painful for your pet

Cats and dogs

· The ‘gold standard’ is toothbrushing

Mechanical action breaks down plaque and tartar
An enzymatic toothpaste can be used to help remove plaque
It’s good to start this early; it’s much easier to get puppies and kittens to accept tooth-brushing than adults!

· If this is not possible, there are other things that can help

Enzymatic gels or chews, mouthwashes or sprays (still help to clean the whole mouth)
Products that can be added to food or water
Dental chews or dental biscuits (good at cleaning chewing surfaces, don’t deal with tartar on front teeth/canines as well as toothbrushing or enzymatic products)

· Fibre, fibre, fibre!

Grass and hay wear down teeth naturally (and also improve digestion and overall health)

· Wooden toys, fruit tree branches etc (to encourage gnawing)

Regular checks of your pet’s teeth and mouth (e.g. at annual boosters)

· Treating existing dental disease

Cleaning teeth and extractions under general anaesthetic (for damaged or infected teeth)
Burring rabbits’ teeth (this can often be done without a general anaesthetic)
Appropriate antibiotics to treat infection

· Advising on home dental care