Dental Needs Vary by Dog Type Dogs are not all created equal when it comes to dental issues. Oral problems are influenced by many factors, including breed, age, size and skull type. Patients with brachycephalic skulls like Bulldogs and Pugs are prone to rotated teeth especially their maxillary premolars. In this case, the root is often surrounded by palatine(roof of the mouth) tissues, which are less resistant to periodontal disease than gingival (gum) tissues. It's usually a good idea to extract rotated teeth because they trap food and allow plaque to accumulate. Small breeds such as Yorkshire Terriers, Maltese and Chihuahuas can develop severe periodonatal disease at a very young age. Small dogs have just as many teeth as a large dog, but less space for them in the mouth, which can make them difficult to clean. Also, small dogs on a soft food diet do not receive the mechanical cleaning action that dry food provides. Daily home care should begin as soon as small dogs' adult teeth have erupted, and professional dental exams and cleaning should start at the same time as the spay or neuter surgery. Because the pet will already be under anesthesia for the procedure, clients are less likely to decline. Large dogs commonly fracture teeth by chewing on hard objects like sticks or hard toys. Fractures can expose the nerve to food particles and bacteria and may lead to serious infections. In some cases, the tooth may need to be extracted or a root canal may need to be performed. Most large breeds are slightly less susceptible to periodontal disease, but Greyhounds are an exception. They can develop significant disease very early in life. Toy breeds such as poodles, maltese and yorkies have problems with retained deciduous (baby) teeth. This condition can cause a maxillary canine tooth to fall out, leaving an oronasal fistula and resulting in chronic sinusitis. Retained teeth should be extracted as soon as possible.

February Is Pet Dental Health Month

February is Dental Health Month so let's talk teeth! Did you know that all dogs have 42 permanent teeth and cats have 30?  From the smallest Chihuahua to the biggest Mastiff they all have the same number.  All of their permanent teeth should erupt by 6 months and should push out the deciduous (baby) teeth.  Sometimes this does not happen and the baby teeth need to be extracted. The best time to do this is during a spay or neuter procedure.  Deciduous teeth that are retained can cause overcrowding and tartar buildup between the baby teeth and the permanent teeth so this is a good reason to remove them when possible.  Most puppies and kittens end up swallowing their baby teeth so unfortunately they do not get to leave them under the pillow for the tooth fairy! 

Stay tuned for more dental health information throughout the month.