02
Dog Oral and Dental Diseases and Care
Posted by | Posted in Dental Health | Posted on 02-08-2010
Dental and oral problems are important to learn, to prevent and to cure. Dogs may not live to the fullest if there’s something that bothers on their mouth. Mouth and teeth diseases will also keep the dog owner from getting too close because of unpleasant odor. Proper hygiene and oral care is important, and it ensures our dog is healthy.
Tartar Build Up. The most common form of canine dental disease is tartar buildup. This causes irritation of the gums around the base of the teeth (gingivitis), resulting in exposure of the roots. Ultimately, this leads to infection and tooth loss. Infection will accumulate in the mouth, resulting in gingivitis, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis (sore throat). Infection within the mouth will be picked up by the blood stream and carried to other parts of the body. Kidney infections, as well as infections involving the heart valves, frequently begin in the mouth. One of the main factors determining the amount of tartar buildup is the individual chemistry in the mouth. Some dogs need yearly cleanings; other dogs need a cleaning only once every few years.
Bad Breath and Halitosis. Dog bad breath is a common problem that makes unpleasant situation for dog owners. Bad breath could keep from enjoyable playing and getting close with dogs which upsetting for the dog too. Dog halitosis bad breathe is a particularly foul and offensive odor coming from dog’s mouth. While it’s unpleasant, dog bad breath can also be a sign of a serious health problem like infection or any internal health issues that releases the foul odor. Furthermore symptoms like facial swelling, pawing at the mouth, sneezing, and nasal discharge can all be signs of mouth disorders. However, even if you only observe the foul odor, it’s still important to have your dog examined by a veterinarian so that the cause of your pet’s halitosis can be identified and treated, preventing continuation of the unpleasant odor as well as protecting your furry friend’s health and happiness.
Periodontitis or Periodontal Disease. Periodontitis is the inflammation of the structures that support teeth, the gum tissue, periodontal ligament, alveolus (small cavity) and cementum (bonelike connective tissue covering the root of a tooth and assisting in tooth support). It is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world in dogs and is caused by bacteria that make up plaque. ‘Periodontal’ comes from two Greek words that mean ‘around the tooth.’ Periodontal disease is a series of changes that are associated with the inflammation and loss of the deep supporting structures of teeth. Periodontal disease is inflammation of some or all of the tooth’s support structures (gingiva, cementum, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone). When compared to gingivitis, periodontitis indicates bone loss. Periodontal disease is caused by bacteria. Initially a pellicle forms on the clean tooth. This pellicle attracts aerobic gram positive bacteria (mostly actinomyces and strepococci). Soon more bacteria adhere forming plaque. With in days the plaque thickens, underlying bacteria run out of oxygen and anaerobic motile rods and spirochetes begin to populate the sub gingival area. Endotoxins released by the anaerobic bacteria cause tissue destruction and bone loss. Small breed and brachycephalic dogs are at greater risk of periodontal disease because their teeth are often crowded together. This results in an increased accumulation of plaque because the normal cleansing mechanisms are hindered. If gingivitis is left untreated, it will progress to periodontal disease which is irreversible. Periodontal Therapy is one of the treatment that controls plaque.
Mouth Infections and Stomatitis. Infection or inflammation in the mouth – stomatitis – can be caused by cuts, burns, foreign bodies stuck in the mouth, and diseases of the gums and the structures that support the teeth (periodontal disease). Metabolic diseases such as kidney failure can also cause painful stomatitis. Stick are common and potentially serious, especially those in the back of the mouth. To treat stomatitis, the cause is addressed: physical injuries are treated, foreign objects are removed, dental conditions are corrected , and any underlying metabolic disorder are controlled to prevent recurrence. Secondary bacterial infection is common, so appropriate antibiotics are almost always used.
Foreign bodies in the mouth and throat. Dogs love to chew sticks, stones, bones and other hard materials but also potentially dangerous: sticks can cause damage to the mouth and can also crack teeth, especially molars. This may lead to tooth-pulp exposure and infection. Sticks can also lodge in the back of the throat, too far for easy removal with a spoon handle. A dog with something in its throat gags, paws anxiously at its mouth, and may drool or vomit. A foreign body in the throat may cause swelling that interferes with breathing. If the object blocks the voice box, the dog chokes and faints. Treat the dog immediately for choking. For severe cases, surgery is needed. Always supervise what the dogs chew, or rather give them balls and other chewing toys instead of sticks and other not safe to chew materials.
Dog Mouth Tumors. Tumors are uncommon but can occur on the gums, tongue or roof of mouth, or in the salivary glands. When possible they are surgically removed, followed by radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
Dog Oral Examination. The annual physical exam must include an oral exam to recognize problems with teeth, periodontal disease, and other oral diseases. The comprehensive oral exam begins by observing the face, recognizing that there are normal breed variations but carefully observing for abnormalities.
Diet and Chewing Behavior. Studies show that hard kibbles are slightly better than canned foods at keeping plaque from accumulating on the teeth. Dogs that chew on various toys or edible dental chews may remove some of the plaque build-up.
Home Care. The owner plays an important role in the oral health care for their companion animals. We consider the pet owner and the family veterinarian as key members of our dental health care team. Out Comprehensive Oral health Assessment and Treatment (COHAT) as well as all of our services may be ineffective without the pet owner’s involvement. It is important that the pet owner has interest in their pets’ oral health. Regular teeth brushing are strongly recommended because it is a huge benefit for pets and it allows for close observation for oral problems.
Watch the video related to dental health
During a tooth extraction, dentists will generally numb the area and apply pressure to the gums to loosen the tooth from the socket. Learn what to expect during a dental visit for a tooth extraction procedure from alicensed dental assistant in this free video series on the dental profession. Expert: Michelle McPhail Contact: www.MySolutionz.com Bio: Michelle McPhail has been a licensed dental assistant for seven years. Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz
Help answer the question about dental health
What's a typical cost for independent health and dental insurance?The reason I'm asking is because I'm thinking of leaving journalism and delving into the world of full-time nannying. Besides being sick to my stomach with corporate America, I hope to one day go back to school for a degree with early childhood education. I love working with kids.
My only concern with this career move is losing the benefits that come with a corporate employer. Does anyone know the average monthly cost for dental, health and/or insurance? Any suggestions for insurance companies to go with?
Could be space in between your teeth, with food getting caught and then abscessing slightly, then going away.
Or, a metabolic disease which shows up as gum sores.
Or something you eat or drink — acidic juices, perhaps?
Maybe even a gum you chew, or whitening toothpaste.
I like listerine. My husband prefers crest. Our dentist recommends crest as well.
I can't help you with the loan information but can recommend a good discount plan.
http://www.mybenefitsplus.com/40491833
Good luck!
IMO it should. You're right when you say that dental care is just as important as regular care. I've read that people with poor oral hygiene have a higher chance of heart disease. If we had more preventative care and people actually took care of their bodies, we would see a huge reduction in how much it would cost to treat people.
Check the report below….the average dental yearly costs were under $500, so: 50 percent of people paid UNDER $500 a YEAR to take care of their teeth….
Avg. exam $30
Avg. cleaning $75
Avg. filling $100
These are all less than that last tattoo!
The pH of dental plaque is a key factor from the balance between acid demineralization of the teeth and the remineralization of the initial caries lesion. Plaque pH falls each time acids accumulate from the plaque due to bacterial acid production following the consumption of fermentable carbohydrates – mainly sugars – from foods and drinks.
On the other hand, the plaque pH rises when the acids are washed out and neutralized by saliva, which contains the important buffer, bicarbonate. The pH also rises when the plaque bacteria either metabolize the acids, or produce alkali such as ammonia from nitrogenous compounds found from foods and saliva.
The premium for your health insurance when you go out on your own will vary significantly based on your age and gender.
I have seen decent policys as low as $111 per month for a young male and over $800 per month for someone in their late 50's.
Keep in mind, when you are going into the self employed arena – and you are shopping for health insurance, you can not look at the benefits in the same fashion as your big corporate health insurance policys.
You need to look for the following:
1) minimal internal policy limitations – ie – limints on physical therapy, ambulance, in-patient hospitalization limits
2) Provider Network – make sure you get into a plan that gives you in network access to nationwide doctors
3) Rate guarantees – some carriers are offering 18 and 24 month rate guarantees
4) Get educated on Health Savings Account (HSA) qualified plans – they can save you significant premium and tax dollars
5) Pre-existing condition limitations – if you have pre-existing conditions, be sure to review any exclusions with the policy
6) Use a local broker / agent – they have the most knowledge regarding the policys that work the best in your local area.
Hope this helps
Yes, health subjects are all part of the realm of Science. Ask any dentist how much science they had in college. And in preschool, you can't really go too deep without losing them, so roots and crowns are about as far as you'd want to go. You might start by asking them what they know about bones, get their feedback, and then ask if they've ever seen a bone. Some will think of chicken bones or ribs, but maybe somebody will come up with "teeth" and if they don't, you lead them to that idea. Then jump in to what bones and teeth need to be healthy (calcium) and other ways to take care of bones. Your teeth are the only bones that need cleaning to stay healthy, and viola! You are now into talking about brushing, and maybe flossing. Take some floss (it is cheap, one roll will cover the whole class easily), and ask if they can squish their finger in between their teeth to clean out the in-betweens. No?!
Well, how about a toothbrush, does that fit in between? (Take yours, SHOW them with your own teeth). Better, but what if I use this neat string? (Again, SHOW them with yours) then pass out a bit of floss, keep the garbage can right next to you, and pass it around after they all have a try with their own piece of floss. That ensures it all ends up in the trash (no germs, strangulations!!) and it's all cleaned up.
Almost all foods contain some form of sugar which causes tooth decay.
All food though if left in the mouth will support the growth of germs and other mouth diseases like gingivitis and gum disease. Plaque build-up will result which pushes the gums away from the teeth giving germs even more space to hide.
Left alone these can lead to bone disease and bone loss.
Same applies to most drinks except water.
Milk is good.
Regular dentist visits will help.
Brushing three times a day and before bed is a must for good hygiene.