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Periodontal Disease in Pets Part
I:
by
Dr. Brett Beckman
July, 2004
Punta Gorda Life
The Pain Is There,
They Just Can’t Tell Us Where It Hurts....
No other disease affects our pets so profoundly.
 No
other disease strikes at such a young age. No other
disease progresses throughout life, causing silent
pain and in many cases death. Periodontal disease
affects 85% of dogs and cats over the age of three.
(Figure 1) No other disease can even come close to
claiming those kinds of statistics. |
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In this issue....
Feature: |
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Periodontal Disease in Pets - Part 1
by:
Dr. Brett Beckman
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Figure 1 |
Periodontal disease
caused by plaque has produced
inflammation of the gum and loss of
supporting tissue around these two
teeth. Note the receding gum line.
Periodontal disease is a result of
bacterial destruction of the tissue
that supports the teeth. It starts
when plaque is allowed to contact
the gum tissue. Enzymes and
destructive by-products produced by
the bacteria in the plaque film
cause inflammation in the gum. This
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inflammation
progresses under the gum and the
connection of the gum to the tooth
root weakens. This forms an ever
expanding pocket between the gum and
the root, giving bacteria and ever
better place to hide and carry on
their destruction. As the disease
continues bone falls prey to the
process and begins to be eaten away
by the infection. The tooth becomes
mobile and is lost. During this
process the pet suffers silently.
Why haven’t we heard more about this
problem? There are several
reasons. First of all, the teeth
are hidden by the lips and enclosed
in the oral cavity, out of view to
the pet owner. Secondly, pets have
a unique ability to hide their
pain. The old adage that pets can’t
tell us where they hurt has never
been more true when it comes to the
mouth. If you don’t believe me I
suggest you come to my surgery suite
and observe a patient with
periodontal disease. Even under
anesthesia a pain response,
recognized by chattering of the jaw,
can be elicited by light touching of
inflamed gums with a periodontal
probe! Pets have developed this
behavior in part to survive in the
wild. Showing pain indicates
weakness in the individual in the
pack and the weak do not fare well
in the wild. Therefore they
continue to eat and carry on their
normal activities for they have no
choice in the matter. The same
holds true for our domestic friends
even to this day.
What are some of the signs of
periodontal disease? The number one
sign is no sign at all! (Figures 2
and 3) Most of the cases that I see
in my practice have never been
detected previously. Since the
mouth is hidden from view the
infection goes unnoticed. Take the
same infection and put it on the
face, limbs or torso and the pet
owner would have the animal to the
veterinary office the same day. A
hallmark sign is odor. Lift the gum
of your pet and smell the breath.
If can honestly say that you would
not walk out of the house with your
breath smelling like that then you
have a pet with periodontal
disease. That said, not all cases
have discernable odor so don’t be
fooled by the lack of it, although
this is the exception and not the
rule. Other signs include
inflammation of the gum and tartar
accumulation on the teeth (look in
the back upper portion of the
mouth). If these signs are present
a thorough oral examination by your
veterinarian is in order.
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Figure 2 |
Figure 2: The patient in this
picture showed no visible or
behavioral signs of discomfort. The
teeth here don’t appear to be
diseased.
Figure 3:
X-rays prove looks can be
deceiving (and they often are with
periodontal disease)The bone level
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Figure 3 |
should
be just below the neck of the
tooth. You can see that only about
20% of the tooth root is surrounded
by bone. The rest of the bone has
been destroyed.
The problem is not only confined to
the mouth but can and often does
affect other areas of the body. An
infection anywhere in the body
enlists the immune system to help
fight the battle. In so doing
physiologically, the other systems
of the body are left with a weakened
defense system, making them more
susceptible to disease. In addition
the blood stream is constantly being
showered by the bacteria that the
body is trying to eliminate. These
bacteria can end up in the liver,
kidney and lungs causing infection
and destruction of these organs over
time.
What can be done? First seek a
thorough oral examination by your
veterinarian. From this point the
veterinarian will usually recommend
sedation, periodontal probing, and
oral x-rays to determine the extent
of the problem. Unfortunately the
tartar and gingivitis are often the
tip of the iceberg. The majority of
the disease lies hidden under the
gum. Manipulation of the gums with
a periodontal probe helps to crack
open the window to the tissue below
the gumline. X-rays open the window
fully to give us a true picture of
the extent of the disease. Based
upon these two methods a plan can be
formulated to treat the problem.
Often treatment involves periodontal
surgery which can be minor or major.
Regeneration of lost tissue is now
possible and can be performed in
many veterinary offices.
Unfortunately extraction of severely
affected teeth, although always the
last resort, may be the only
option. Pulling teeth alone is not
enough, however. Removal of
diseased tissue around the tooth,
placing materials to stop the
destruction of bone and suturing the
gum over the extraction site help
ensure that the mouth heals properly
and that food and debris don’t
contaminate the extraction site
during the healing process.
Following surgical repair of tissue
and extraction if necessary, the
disease can be controlled at home
and with regular visits to the
veterinarian. Toothpaste designed
specifically for pets is available
at the veterinary office. This is
the number one way to prevent
progression of this disease
following veterinary treatment.
Special foods and enzymatic chews
have been shown clinically to reduce
plaque and tartar may also be
employed. Numerous other products
are available including gels and
other compounds that may be applied
to the tooth surface to help
minimize the plaque that causes this
disease.
A painful condition that causes
needless suffering in pets,
periodontal disease is easily
detected, treated and prevented.
Needless silent suffering does not
need to happen in our pets in this
day and age. If your pet has oral
malodor it likely has periodontal
disease. Please visit your
veterinarian to determine if the
odor is indeed the tip of the
iceberg.
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Editor's Note: Buster
waited a little too long to
see his doctor.......
Please
click here for additional information
or if you would like to contact the
author of this article, Dr.
Brett Beckman
. Thank you!
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