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Dental care starting at puppy hood is an important part of your dogs long-term healthcare. Dental disease later in life can be associated with chronic pain, tooth and bone infections, and bacteria in the blood stream that can affect distant organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. Habits formed early can produce a lifetime of benefits. Teeth brushing can be introduced as soon as teeth are present. Most puppies have all their baby or deciduous teeth in by 8 to 10 weeks of age. These teeth are very sharp, but have small roots. Permanent teeth start appearing at 4 to 5 months of age. Puppies can exhibit signs of teething just like human babies such as drooling, relentless chewing, pain and irritability. Occasionally they will be chewing on a toy and owners may notice some bleeding from the gums. Owners rarely find the baby teeth as they fall out; most puppies swallow them. Normally, the deciduous tooth falls out as the permanent tooth is erupting through the surface of the gum. It is abnormal to see both the adult and baby tooth present at the same time, and can sometimes cause a malocclusion of the adult teeth. If baby teeth do not fall out they should be extracted, often at the spay or neuter. There are 3 different options for dental homecare: brushing, oral rinse, and medicated chews. Brushing daily to every other day is the best way to keep teeth and gums clean and healthy. A dentifrice or toothpaste designed for pets is necessary because human toothpastes contain fluoride which can be toxic if swallowed. Toothpaste can be applied with a human soft-bristled toothbrush, a pet toothbrush, finger brushes, gauze, or Q-tips (for puppies or very small dogs). Brush gently along the gum line on the outside surface of the teeth. If the puppy is nervous, start gradually just working on the upper right molars, then alternating to left the next day. Once they are comfortable add in the lower teeth. Limit brushing when adult teeth are coming in, as this can be painful. Dental rinses do not remove tartar but help reduce bacteria in pets’ mouths. Rinses designed for pets can be administered daily to every other day. Dental treats can help reduce tartar and improve the health of the gums. Small rawhide strips or commercial dental chews work well given daily to twice weekly. Dental chews containing a pet dentifrice or toothpaste work even better. Finally professional dental cleaning is usually necessary as your pet ages. This is an anesthetic procedure where the teeth and gums are evaluated, the oral cavity is screened for cancers, the teeth are scaled and polished, x-ray can be taken as necessary, and any advanced dental therapies (extraction, gingivectomy, mass removal) can be performed. Regular dental home care helps reduce the frequency of professional dental cleaning and helps improve your pets’ quality and quantity of life. |
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