Periodontal disease

healthy mouth

A healthy mouth smells good and feels good.  The teeth are clean and the gums are coral pink.

gingivitis / early periodontitis

If your dog or cat is more than three or four years old and like most pet owners,  you haven't been doing anything in particular to keep the teeth clean, this is probably what you will notice:  mouth odor, brownish deposits on the back teeth, and thin margin of redness along the gum line. 

These teeth need attention.  Those brown deposits extend underneath the gums, bringing bacteria into the tooth socket.  The gums are infected, and we have an important problem.  At this stage, by having the teeth cleaned and doing some simple things to keep the mouth healthy, you can keep your pet comfortable and happy without a great deal of trouble or expense. 

moderate periodontal disease

As often than not, this is what we see in the mouths of older pets.   Unless there has been some attention to dental health, and especially if soft food is being fed, this is what we get.  One third to one half of the root attachment has been lost and part of the bone structure that is supposed to support the tooth is gone.   The mouth looks bad and smells bad.  It is uncomfortable for this pet to chew anything hard, so there is less chewing and the mouth gets worse that much faster. 

In the past, without referral to a dental specialist and some serious periodontal work, this mouth would have been a lost cause. Today, it  can be returned to manageable condition without unreasonable effort and expense.  First we need to get the mouth cleaned up and remove the most seriously affected teeth.  The diseased space under the gums where bacteria live must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.  Then we pack that area with an antibiotic gel.   It is mixed immediately before application and injected into the periodontal space where quickly solidifies into a rubbery solid. This material  gradually dissolves over a two week period, continually releasing antibiotics.  Clean and free from infection the gums are able to partially reattach to the teeth.

If the teeth are really pretty awful, we aren't going to magically have a normal mouth after one treatment, but with regular professional cleaning combined with good care at home, this pet can once again have a healthy, comfortable, good smelling mouth. 

advanced periodontal disease

For practical purposes, teeth like this are too far gone to save.   They are loose and painful, and without heroic efforts by owner and periodontist, they will be loose and painful until they fall out or are extracted.  We can get a mouth like this comfortable and good smelling again, but only by extracting most of the teeth.