You may wonder what the veterinarian is looking at when he
lifts your pet’s lip to look at his/her teeth.
Just like us, pets can get dental disease and the veterinarian is
actually “grading” the teeth based on the conditions present in the mouth.
The scale that the veterinarian uses is simple: Grade 0 is the best (usually present in
puppies, kittens and pets that have just had their teeth professionally
cleaned. Grade 2 is the most common in
the pets seen at Cherokee, which indicates redness of the gums caused by plaque
buildup. As long as the tooth structure
itself is not affected, this is the highest stage of dental disease that can be
addressed with a simple “dental prophy”, or cleaning.
Once the mouth reaches Grade 3 or 4, a full
surgical dental cleaning is needed, which includes extractions, gum pocket
treatment, antibiotic therapy and probably pain medication. Obviously, the costs increase with this type
of dental cleaning also.
Fortunately there are things that can be done to either eliminate
or slow down the need for a professional cleaning. Several products are made specifically for
plaque control and dental disease prevention.
These will be discussed later in the month.
If you are wondering which “grade” your pet’s mouth
received, it should be on the last report card that was given to you during
your pet’s last physical examination. If
it has been 6 months or longer since that physical, chances are the dental
disease has progressed. We will always
happily have a Registered Veterinary Technician grade your pet’s teeth at no
charge. Once the teeth are graded, he or
she can discuss ways to improve the grade.
Please watch for further information on dental disease
during February, National Dental Disease Prevention Month in the veterinary
world!
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