Your pet’s mouth: A guide to canine and feline dental health

SINGAPORE – Milo was a nine-year-old poodle who was still excited for walks. He wolfed down his kibble and curled up on the sofa every evening exactly as he always had. His owner had no reason to worry.

Then a routine check-up revealed a fractured tooth and inflamed gums. Milo had been in pain for months. Like most dogs and cats, he kept eating and drinking as usual.

Oral problems in cats and dogs are painful and often associated with infection and difficulty eating. They also carry a high risk of developing systemic complications.

Small breeds and older pets, in particular, often develop gum disease, tooth resorption, broken teeth, malocclusion (misaligned teeth or jaws) or other inflammatory oral diseases. This finding comes from surveys carried out on large populations of companion animals and shows just how important dental care is for dogs and cats.

Pets do not show their discomfort. Like Milo, they continue to try to eat and drink, and go about their daily routines. Their dental pain often develops slowly, allowing them to adapt and mask discomfort, which makes it difficult to detect.

Dental discomfort is a common, yet frequently overlooked, source of pain in pets.

Many of these oral and dental problems are associated with loss of appetite and difficulty opening the jaw. They can also badly affect the nose, ears, throat and even the eyes. A good number of them cause bad breath, excessive drooling or bleeding from the gums.

A dog has 42 teeth, while a cat has 30. Puppies and kittens start with deciduous teeth, which change into permanent teeth typically when they are four to seven months old.

Teeth are important for a pet’s normal functions – including food intake, environmental perception and general mental balance – but this is only true of healthy teeth.

Problems can occur throughout a pet’s life, so the teeth and gums require continuous attention and systematic control.

When a tooth or its surrounding tissue is affected and there is no chance of preserving it, tooth extraction must be performed. This procedure is irreversible. It must always be carried out in a minimally invasive way and with thorough pain management.

Modern medicine is focused on prevention rather than intervention. This applies to dental and oral problems too.

The veterinary medical team can do a great deal to prevent painful oral disease. Left unchecked, this would inevitably lead to pain and the loss of teeth.

Get the teeth of your pet checked

An oral health prevention programme is straightforward and has three main parts.

The first is diagnosis carried out either during a regular oral check-up or at a dedicated dental appointment under anaesthesia, which typically includes dental scaling and polishing. The second is treatment based on that diagnosis. The third is home care built around the diagnosis and the treatment given.

Each part depends on the others. All three require cooperation between the pet owner, the veterinary team and the patient itself.

A full oral examination can be carried out only under general anaesthesia. A proper assessment that includes a full clinical check and diagnostic imaging would cause too much pain and anxiety for a patient which is awake.

Dentistry is a medical field that offers a range of preventive and curative procedures for the patient’s benefit. It rests on evidence-based medicine, the competence and skill of the medical team and the clinic’s relevant instruments and equipment.

Veterinary dental specialists know how to treat gum disease, inflammatory conditions, fractured teeth, occlusal issues (caused by the way teeth align when biting), maxillofacial trauma (physical injuries to the face or jaws), oral tumours, developmental disorders and many other pathologies.

A competent medical team also ensures anaesthesia safety and good follow-up during recovery, and helps manage chronic issues.

Veterinary dentistry has progressed significantly over the recent decades, particularly in clinical diagnostics, regenerative techniques, and modern materials and medicines.

At the same time, pets are living longer. Dental diseases linked to age have emerged that require special treatment covered under senior care.

Home care is a very important part of the prevention programme. It includes passive and active hygiene methods that help control the build-up of plaque and calculus, such as toothbrushing, oral cleansing gels, water additives, supplements, special diets as well as treats and chews.

A combination of these methods is tailored to each patient’s temperament, needs, tolerance for particular products and the owner’s own abilities and compliance. Many dental procedures can be rendered ineffective if they are not followed by appropriate oral hygiene at home.

Oral health is a priority for the veterinary medical team.

Despite the many challenges, it is possible for dogs and cats to enjoy good oral health. Working with the veterinary team to create a tailored care plan is key to ensuring your pet’s welfare and quality of life.