Dogs are loyal, playful, and affectionate because they are so companionable. Dogs are often dubbed man’s best friends. Dogs have 28 deciduous teeth (temporary) and 42 permanent teeth. Deciduous or milk teeth begin to appear when a puppy is about four weeks of age, and are lost gradually between 14 and 30 weeks of age. Dental disease is one of the most common health disorders in dogs. There are many dental disease in dogs include plaque, tartar and periodontal disease. Dog dental problems may also result from injury, foreign bodies such as porcupine quills or foxtail, malnutrition or systemic diseases which infect the mouth as well as other parts of the body.

The common signs of the dental problems in the dogs imply the loss of appetite, red, inflated and gums of bleeding, radoter, blood in saliva, tartar yellow-brown with the gum line, broken teeth and blows stinking. Dogs sometimes bear from broken teeth, frequent a cause of biting on sticks or rocks. A cracked or broken tooth can be painful if the nerve tissue is exposed. Prevention is always better than cure”. Keeping that in mind can prevent our most loved dog from acquiring such dental diseases. To prevent dental disease, your dog needs routine dental care at home. Home care is impotant step of your dog dental care.

Home oral care includes routine examinations of your dog’s mouth and brushing her teeth. Clean your dog’s teeth frequently with special toothbrushes and toothpaste designed for dogs. Toothpaste for dogs is generally quite savory to them, so he shouldn’t mind this. If your dog balks at having his teeth brushed, get him used to it by rubbing his teeth and gums with your finger. Then put a little of the toothpaste on your finger and let him sniff and lick it; do the same with the toothbrush. Make sure to provide chew toys or other products that will help clean his teeth.

As your dog gets older, he may have a buildup of tartar that requires special cleaning by a veterinarian. Another method to assist cure calculus and build up on your dog’s teeth is by using rawhide masticates specially expressed for dental care. Dental diets is very important for your dog. Hard crunchy foods tend to be better for the teeth than soft ones although there is nothing wrong with feeding a proportion of a soft tinned or flat pack food.

Have you ever come across a case where your dog is having awfully bad breath? So awful that you wish you do not own a dog? If it is the case, then it is time to take you pet to the veterinary. Like human, healthy dogs do not have smelly breath. According to a finding by the American Veterinary Dental Society, more than 80% of dogs show some signs of gum disease by age three, a full grown dog. This shows the lack of oral hygiene in people having dogs at home.

Why dental care?

Lack of dental care can cause severe dental diseases in dogs, which can prove fatal. After dog finishes his meal, minute food particles remain inside his mouth. These food particles, and bacteria accumulate on the surface of the tooth causing plaque. Continuous formation of plaque can cause tartar (or calculus) to form, and the gums get swollen up and become red color. This stage is called gingivitis. If the tartar is not removed, it accumulates up under the gums, and this slowly separates gums from teeth. This encourages more bacteria. This stage is called “periodontal” disease. The dog has awfully bad breath (halitosis) at this time, and it is necessary to see your veterinary.

Worse, the bacteria in mouth pass to intestine with food, and can cause heart, liver or kidney failure in dogs. The bacteria in mouth can go to the heart through the blood stream. These bacteria cause valve failure in heart, and your pet will get severely ill. Diseases of mouth are very painful for the dog, and being a dog lover you would certainly not want your dog to suffer this torture. It is therefore important that you practice oral hygiene for your dog, and protect him from severe diseases.

Symptoms of dental diseases

Bad breath is arguably the most common symptom of dental disease; there are many other ways to find out that your dog has a dental problem. Open the mouth of your dog, and check the teeth. If they are yellow colored, and have brown deposits on them, it indicates dental problem. Check if the dog gums are red and look swollen. More over, if the dog is unable to eat food, or cries in pain while eating, it means that there is severe dental problem with the dog.

Prevention and cure

You might already be wondering what could be the remedy. Well “Prevention is better than cure”. The best thing is to regularly brush your dog’s teeth. It is your first line of defense against plaque, and tartar. Regular brushing keeps teeth healthy, and stops bad breath. Start brushing teeth from the time your pet is young. This will make him accustomed to your finger, and the taste of paste. Later you can start using toothbrushes.

There are also a number of commercially available dog-foods approved by vets, and these can be provided sometimes to your dog. These foods are made such that your dog chews them well, and in the process, the plaque and tartar gets removed.

In case of gingivitis, and “periodontal” disease the vets give anesthesia to the dog, and mechanically remove the tartar. Scaling is often done to remove the tartar that is accumulated under the gums. Once this is done the teeth are polished so that it is difficult for bacterial to develop on the teeth. After treatment, you need to regularly brush dog’s teeth, feed hard food, and regular checkup is necessary.

It is therefore very necessary that you regularly brush your dog’s teeth just like taking care of our own and our baby’s, and maintain proper oral hygiene. Dental care is very important for the well being of your dog.