It is very common for any dog over the age of three to have some form of dental disease such as tartar or gingivitis. In fact, statistics state 85%. This is why dental disease is one of the most common canine afflictions. The most common symptoms include:

Bad Smelling Breath or Halitosis

Bleeding From the Gums

Display of blood on chew toys

As the progression of gingivitis and dental disease progress, other symptoms will appear. These include:

Unwillingness to Eat

Drooling

Inability or difficulty in picking up or chewing hard food

Discomfort when opening mouth

Enlargement of lymph nodes underneath the jaw

Swelling on the face underneath the eye

Bacteria from advanced dental disease can spread to other organs of the body such as the heart, kidneys and brain causing severe infection.

The Vet Visit - Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis of dental disease is based on physical examination. By opening a dogs mouth and examining its teeth, it is easy to tell whether or not calculus and gingivitis are present. While calculus and gingivitis above the gum are easy to diagnose, tartar accumulation and infection below the gum line cannot be diagnosed with a physical examination. They are usually diagnosed with x-rays of the jaw. Normally this is done during treatment because it requires general anesthesia.

To treat tartar buildup and gingivitis, your dog will need a professional veterinary cleaning. Performed as an outpatient procedure, it is simple and easy, but does require general anesthetic.

While under sedation, a dog's teeth are cleaned and polished both above and below the gum line much like a human dentist does for people.

When severe dental disease is present, a veterinarian will perform x-rays while the dog is under sedation in order to check for severe infection or abscesses. This allows the veterinarian to determine if a tooth or teeth must be pulled. In most cases, dogs do very well after tooth extraction and can still enjoy solid food.

There are some owners who choose not to have their dogs teeth removed. Instead, they prefer to visit a veterinary dental specialist to salvage a broken or infected tooth.

Dog Dental Disease Prevention

The best way to prevent tartar accumulation and gingivitis is with daily brushing. Use special toothpaste made only for dogs along with a soft toothbrush when brushing your dogs teeth. Do not use human toothpaste as it was not meant to be swallowed and foams too much. The video below contains a detailed description of how to brush your dogs teeth.

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Written by Heather Fox using tags: dog care, dog dental disease, dog fitness, dog health, dog teeth, Dogs, Pet Care, pet health, Pets