The key to management of gum disease for both humans and pets is prevention. Good oral health is maintained by daily oral hygiene and other than daily brushing of the teeth, chewing activities can be effective in maintaining oral health.
 

For preventative dental health we recommend:

• Healthy Chews — Greenies, denta-bones, etc
• Raw Bones — always choose appropriately sized bones and keep your animal supervised when they chew.
• Medicated foods — Hills T/d diet fed every day is one of the most successful ways to prevent dental disease.
• Daily Brushing — Nothing will be more effective

Peridontal Disease

Bad breath is the most common side effect recognised by pet owners. However quite often this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Other symptoms may include bleeding of the gums, loss of appetite and dropping food when it's eating due to pain.

Periodontal disease results from a build-up of soft dental plaque on the surfaces of the teeth around the gums. When plaque is allowed to accumulate, the bacteria irritate the gum tissue and can lead to infection in the bone surrounding the teeth. Hard dental tartar, also known as calculus, forms when calcium salts from saliva are deposited on plaque. It can begin forming within just a few days and creates a rough surface that encourages further plaque accumulation. Once tartar becomes thick, it is difficult to remove without professional dental instruments. The cost of dental treatment depends on the severity of the dental disease, with Grade 1 treatment costing approximately $500 and Grade 2 approximately $900. Grade 3 treatment generally ranges from $1,400 to $2,400, while Grade 4 treatment may range from $2,600 to $4,000.

Watch the video below to find out more on how we treat dental disease at Tea Tree Gully Veterinary Hospital.