b'Dental Disease: The Wisdom Truth.by Dr. Timothy HodgeWHAT IS DENTAL DISEASE AND HOW is present, it is time to schedule the professional cleaning. This isDOES IT FORM? not the time to wait and see.To form dental disease, a film of living bacteria must live and DONT BE AFRAID OF ANESTHESIA. growontheteethandgums. Thisfilm,calledabiofilm,is Anesthesia based dental cleanings are the best for most pets.requiredtobepresenttoformplaque.Plaqueisthesoft, However, many pet parents have concern due to the risks ofanesthesiaandtheirpetsrecovery.Manystudieshavebeendonetodeterminetheincidenceofdeathrelatedtoanesthesia.Itwasdeter-minedinalargestudyinvolving98,000 dogs that the death rate wasapproximately0.15%.Thismeansthat99.85%didwellwithgeneralanesthesiaandsurvived. Anesthesiahasbecomeverysafewiththenewest anesthetic drugs and the abil-ity to fully monitor the pets bloodpressure,oxygensaturationintheblood, heart rate, pulse quality, EKG,temperature, etc. Also, the use of anIV catheter and fluid support greatlyenhancesthesafetyofcontrollingbloodpressureandforeaseofadministrationofmedicationsasneeded.Generalanesthesiaalsoallows for protection of the mouthSonny is a 12-year-old longhair Chihuahua, photographed during the and airways. We need this to preventLook-A-Like contest at Dog Days In Dade City. bacteria from being inhaled into theCmon, Sonny - lets see your pearly whites. Photograph by Dawn Reilley. lungs. Thisalsoallowsforamuchwhite/grayish mucus-like formation that occurs on the surface better cleaning below the gum line and allows for treatment ofoftheteethandinbetweentheteeth.Badbreathmaybe diseased teeth and a complete oral exam of the tongue, gums,noticeable. The biofilm uses the food that the pet eats and sali- palate and throat.va to form the plaque. Once the plaque stays present for an NON-ANESTHESIA DENTAL CLEANINGS:extended period of time, the plaque mineralizes and forms tar- JUST SAY NO.tar. Tartar forms on the surface of the tooth as well as below the ParaphrasingfromtheAmericanCollegeof Veterinarygum line. This allows for different types of bacteria to form Dentistry, Anesthesia-free pet dentistry is being offered by a pro-infections below the gum line and lead to periodontal disease or liferation of companies with the services being carried out by adisease around the tooth root. This can then lead to tooth infec- local groomer, pet store, or even some veterinary providers. Thetions, abscesses, and mobility of teeth and tooth loss. The bacte- term anesthesia-free dental cleaning is misleading to pet ownersria can then get into the blood stream and travel everywhere the who assume this procedure will result in a clean and healthyblood travels (heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, brain, etc). Dental dis- mouth. Unfortunately, the results are largely cosmetic.ease is also very painful to the pet. Imagine having a toothache Since no anesthesia is involved, the pet must be physicallyfor months or years and not being able to tell anyone about it restrained for the provider to gain access to the pets teeth. Someor to have it treated. petsmaytoleraterestraintbetterthanothers,butaphysicalEven with good home care, just as in people, professional restraint for an undetermined amount of time must occur andcleanings will be needed. The time frequency depends on the thepetdoesnotunderstandwhatishappeningtothem.degree of plaque and tartar formation. Owners should examine Imagine how a pet, which cant communicate, feels when thetheir pets mouths at least once a month and look for the accu- provider holds open their mouth and attempts to do the samemulation of yellow or brown material, or bad breath. Once this as a human hygienist. 62THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com'