Dental Health in
Veterinary
Medicine
What do animals use their
teeth for?
Chewing
 Catching prey
 Self defense

What do vets look for in
animal teeth?
Look for signs of disease
 Look for broken and/or missing teeth
 Look for occlusal relationships*
 Approximate the age of the animal

How about these?
*
See slide note
Do animals get dental
disease?

Periodontal disease affects 85% of
cats and dogs over 5 years of age
*
How can veterinarians tell if an
animal has tooth pain?
What can dental disease do
to my pet?
Cause pain
 Result in tooth loss
 Make eating difficult
 Lead to infections
 Lead to inactivity

*
What causes periodontal
disease?
Bacteria forms plaques
on the teeth
 Plaque hardens to form
calculus
 Plaque starts to touch
the gums
 Bacteria and immune system
release destructive chemicals
 Destroys the attachment of the
tooth to the gum

*
Healthy gums
Pink gums
 Smooth
 Shiny

*
Stage 1 – Periodontal
disease
Red gums
 Swollen gums

Stage 2 – Periodontal
disease
Infection around the
teeth
 Shallow pockets
 Bone loss

Stage 3 & 4 – Periodontal
disease
Deep pockets
 Bone loss
 Loose teeth

*
How can we prevent
periodontal disease?

Any ideas?
*
How can I help my pet?

Brush your pet’s teeth!
Lift lips
 Rub their gums and teeth
 Brush gently with a finger
brush or soft toothbrush
 Brush gently with pet
toothpaste on the
fingerbrush or toothbrush

Get your vet to show you how and do it only
under parental supervision so you don’t
cause harm.
*
Pet toothpaste



Some is flavored to taste
like food
Does not contain fluoride.
DO YOU KNOW WHY?
Contains enzymes. DO
YOU KNOW WHY?
*
Pet chew toys
Gumabones®
Pet chew toys
Havaball Chew Toy
Pet chew toys
C.E.T. Dual Enzyme Chews
•Rawhide delivers mechanical
action that abrades plaque from
teeth above the gum line.
• Dual Enzyme System is activated
by saliva to produce
Hypothiocyanite ions which
eliminates placque-forming bacteria.
C.E.T HEXtra Chews
•Rawhide delivers mechanical
action that abrades plaque from
teeth above the gum line.
•Saliva releases Chlorhexidine to
provide sustained antiseptic action
to eliminate placque-forming
bacteria
Goat Hoof
Toothpaste Enzymes



Enzymes are target specific (they only break
down specific kinds of starches or proteins)
The manufacturer may not always explain on
the label what kinds of enzymes are in the
toothpaste.
How well they work in the toothpaste may be
debatable.
Enzymes are proteins. For more about how they affect
food, see our Web curriculum modules on digestion:
http://peer.tamu.edu/curriculum_modules/OrganSystems/module_2/
whatweknow2.htm
Demo on protective effect of
fluoride
*
What about cavities?
Do dogs and cats get cavities? … not
usually.
 Do you know why? There are two
main reasons. Hint: cavities are
caused by bacteria growing on
trapped food.

Dental Research
Better technology for braces
 Laser imaging for diagnosing earlystage periodontal disease
 Zapping diseased gums with lasers
 Improved implants for missing teeth

Human Dental Care: Brushing
Brush after every meal,
certainly before and
after a night’s sleep.
Rinse well.
 Bacteria in the mouth
ends up irritating the
gums, getting
into bloodstream.

Human Dental Care: Brushing

People with gum disease are more likely
to have hardened arteries, heart attack,
stroke, and even diabetes.

Teeth should be cleaned twice a year in a
dentist’s office.
Human Dental Care: Flossing
Insert strip of floss
between each pair
of teeth.
 Work back and
forth, up and down.
 Rinse (note if you
see residue even
after brushing) See
animation

Water Picks
Direct spray between
each pair of teeth and
front and back surfaces.
 Note if any residue appears in the
water as it drains out of your
mouth. If brushing and flossing
don’t get it all, you may need to
use water picks routinely.

*
Example NIH
Research in
Dentistry
Using bacterial gene
sequences to identify strains
that cause rapid tooth decay.
Plan for the study
Filling of an old cavity
New cavity
forming

Oral bacteria in a large group of racially/ethnically
diverse children will be tested to see if the
bacterial gene sequence can predict which children
will get severe cavities.
Expected benefit

Early identification of children at risk
can lead to vigorous preventive
treatment.

Teeth of such children can be sealed
shortly after teeth emerge.
Molar tooth showing deep grooves that
act as traps for food and bacteria.
Molar tooth with grooves filled with
protective sealant
May I answer your questions?