As president of the American Veterinary Dental Society, I am privileged to work with talented people who are passionate about the benefits that dental care can provide to companion animals.
A distinguished colleague once questioned why National Pet Dental Health Month was just one month long. Imagine if you and I cared for our teeth only in the month of February and decided not to brush or seek professional cleaning during the other 11 months. As a result of the recognition for year-round commitment, it has been suggested the name be changed to National Pet Dental Health Campaign. Dental health is a not a month-long proposition but rather a life-long effort.
During my years in general practice and as part of the routine puppy or kitten visit and later at yearly pet examinations, I recommended that pet owners brush their pet's teeth three days a week or ideally once a day. I recall the surprise and amusement the thought of brushing pets' teeth provided for many clients.
Though I enjoy keeping my clients amused, this was not the emotion I was trying to elicit when discussing dental home care. Even today, clients who seek me out as a specialist still find tooth brushing in pets a bit of a novelty.
Simple Instructions
Make no mistake: Daily brushing is the single most important and least expensive thing clients can do for their pet to maintain dental health and perhaps contribute to overall health.
A soft-bristled brush used in a circular motion at a 45-degree angle to the gingival margin is a powerful tool against plaque and gingivitis. The mechanical effect of the bristles is usually more important than what is placed on the brush. Avoid using human toothpaste because it is not meant to be swallowed and there are few indications for fluoride use in dogs and cats.
After incorporating mineral deposits, plaque hardens to form calculus, or tartar, which can no longer be brushed off. Though calculus is not the bad actor that plaque is when it comes to causing periodontal disease, calculus provides a rough surface where plaque can more easily accumulate. Once large amounts of calculus adhere to the teeth, hand instruments and ultrasonic scalers become necessary to restore the teeth to their former glory. After scaling, a thorough polishing is necessary to restore smooth surfaces to the scaled crowns.
Know Terminology
The American Veterinary Dental College's Nomenclature Committee helps to standardize terminology.
The term "professional dental cleaning" refers to scaling (supragingival and subgingival plaque and calculus removal) and polishing of the teeth with power/hand instrumentation performed by a trained veterinary health care provider under general anesthesia.
This is in contrast to "non-professional dental scaling," which refers to dental scaling procedures performed on pets without anesthesia, often done by individuals untrained in veterinary dental techniques.
-John R. Lewis, VMD
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