Gingivitis & Periodontal Disease

When we examine your pet’s teeth and mouth, we use probes and digital dental radiographs, just like human dentists.  This process starts in the exam room when you come in for your pet’s annual health maintenance check-up.  During the exam, your veterinarian will lift your pet’s lip and take a close look at the mouth and teeth.  We’ll be able to identify obvious problems like gingivitis, the onset of periodontal disease, broken teeth, missing teeth, and sometimes, tooth abscesses.  We’ll need to proceed to anesthetizing your pet and beginning the dental teeth cleaning above and below the gum lines and taking full mouth dental radiographs to understand the complete picture and overall health of your pet’s mouth.  We’ll probe around each tooth to see how healthy it is or discover if it’s loose and needs to be pulled.  We’ll examine the radiographs to see if there are any problems too.  Sometimes teeth can look healthy and fine to the human eye.  It takes a radiograph to really see if the tooth, root, and jawbone are healthy.

There are five stages of Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease.  Gingivitis can be treated, reversed, and cured.  Periodontal Disease cannot be cured.  It can only be managed.  We’ll work with you to do everything we can to stop the progression of Periodontal Disease in your pet.

Stage 0: No gingivitis. Gums are smooth, thin, & pink. Bone attachment reaches to the base of the tooth crown.
Treatment Plan: acclimate your pet to a toothbrush and animal toothpaste. Brushing daily is ideal.

Stage 1: Gingivitis only with no loss of bone attachment. Mild amount of plaque and tartar; gums have redness, rolled appearance at the margin.
Treatment Plan: daily brushing will control the condition. Professional dental cleaning recommended now and every 12-18 months depending on how quickly the gingivitis worsens and tartar accumulates.

Stage 2: Early periodontitis. Moderate amount of plaque and tartar with plaque extending underneath the gum line. Increased redness and swelling of the gums, some pain in the mouth, worsening breath odor. Mild pockets developing with bone loss around the tooth or teeth of less than 25%. Many of the symptoms are hidden and can only be found once the pet is under anesthetic.
Treatment Plan: Professional dental cleaning/treatment strongly recommended now to remove the plaque and tartar above and especially below the gum line. Follow through with daily home care. This will control the disease and improve the gingivitis, but not cure the disease. Once bone is lost, it is not replaced. Professional dental treatment should be performed approximately every 12 months.

Stage 3: Moderate periodontitis. Heavier amounts of plaque and tartar. Severe inflammation, swelling, and bleeding of the gums. Gum tissue receding around teeth with bone loss between 25-50%. This condition is painful. The breath is starting to smell putrid.
Treatment Plan: Professional dental treatment as soon as possible in order to stop the disease process and save as many major teeth as possible. Radiographs, some extractions, and/or periodontal surgery are common in this stage. Daily home care still vital to preserve major teeth. Professional dentistry recommended every 6-12 months.

Stage 4: Advanced periodontitis. Extreme amounts of tartar, severe inflammation of the gums, pus around teeth, horrible breath. Very deep pockets with more than 50% bone loss, mobile teeth. Patient is definitely in pain, may not be eating well.
Treatment Plan: Professional dental treatment with antibiotic therapy as soon as possible. Radiographs and numerous extractions are to be expected. Home care should continue with any remaining teeth. Oral condition should be re-evaluated in 3-6 months.

The key to preventing Periodontal Disease  is to give dental chews, treats, and toys at home and brush your pet’s teeth regularly.  We recommend you get your children involved in this process and make it part of the entire family ritual – time to brush everyone’s teeth.  The next most important thing to do is come in for the annual exam and schedule the dental teeth cleaning as soon as the doctor discovers there’s a problem.  Some pets need one or two dental cleanings in their lifetime.  Other pets that are predisposed to having more dental problems may need a dental cleaning more often.

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