Pet Dental Home Care Information

The pet owner is an integral part of our dental team. The dental visit is not complete until discussion is held on maintaining and improving oral health. Home care is the single most important procedure the owner can do to maintain oral health. If performed regularly, daily brushing will dramatically increase the interval between teeth cleaning appointments. Plaque is constantly being made and deposited in the mouth. Humans have a buildup of plaque in the morning that makes our breath smell bad. Proper home care can keep plaque buildup under control. People brush their teeth several times daily to remove plaque - why not our pets?

The goal of dental home care is to remove plaque from tooth surfaces and gingival sulci before it mineralizes into calculus, a process that occurs within days of a teeth cleaning. Success depends on the owner's ability to daily brush the teeth, as well as the dog or cat's acceptance of the process. True oral cleanliness can only be achieved through the mechanical action of toothbrush bristles above and below the gingiva. Home care is best started at a young age before the adult teeth erupt. The perfect time to introduce dental home care is at the first puppy or kitten visit. The client-animal bond as well as the client-veterinary bond is enhanced when daily brushing is performed following instructions given at the animal hospital.

Our staff members are knowledgeable about tooth brushing techniques. Each teeth cleaning visit concludes with review of tooth brushing techniques. Nothing beats "hands on" instruction. Clients often ask, "doesn't hard food keep teeth clean?" Some believe when their dog or cat chews hard food or biscuits, mineral deposits are broken down and the teeth stay clean. This is not true. True. Animals on soft diets accumulate plaque more readily then those on dry foods, but the only way to keep teeth clean above and below the gum line is by daily brushing. Brushing instructions must be more than telling you it would be a good idea for you to brush your pet's teeth, then selling a toothbrush.

"We will show you how to use the toothbrush and paste, and observe you perform the procedure"

How to get the pet to accept tooth brushing

Proper technique involves applying the bristles at a 45 degree angle to the gingival. Use small circular motions around the outside of the teeth, being sure to get the bristles under the gumline. It is not as important to brush the inside of the teeth, as dogs and cats do not have the buildup of tartar on the palatal or lingual sides of their teeth as people do. The most important area to keep clean is the sulcus under the free gingival margin. It is plaque and tartar underneath the gumline that is removed by daily home care. Adding products such as Oxyfresh to drinking water or rubbing the teeth with dentifrice impregnated pads may help in home care, but understand that periodontal disease begins in the gingival sulcus. Home care is most effective when the dentifrice is brushed below the gumline. Start with a healthy comfortable mouth. Untreated problems can cause pain, and a non-compliant patient. Dental pathology must be cared for first.

Finger Toothbrushes

Choose a proper toothbrush and toothpaste. Toothbrushes have bristles that reach under the gumline and clean the space that surrounds each tooth. Plaque accumulates in this space. Devices such as gauze pads, sponge swabs, or cotton swabs remove plaque about the gumline, but cannot adequately clean this space below the gumline. The size of the toothbrush chosen is important. A There are specially made brushes to fit into the large mouths of long muzzled dogs as well as small brushes for cats. Each dog or cat must have his or her own brush. Sharing brushes may result in cross contamination of bacteria from one pet to another. Introduce the toothpaste and toothbrush. When you sense the pet is anxious to the brushing procedure, give reassurance by talking and try again. Expect progress, not perfection. Reward progress immediately with a treat or a play period after each cleaning session. Take time. Each pet is different. Some will be trained in one week while others will take a month or more. The payoff is well worth the learning curve.