The first step in understanding animal oral health is to become educated on what is fact and what is fiction. There are a lot of dental misconceptions that pet parents may believe and we may believe in ourselves. It is our job to learn and convey the truth and help us understand what is best for our patients.
Fiction:
01. Plaque and calculus are the same thing. Plaque is a slimy film on the teeth that can be brushed off. It consists of plaque bacteria, glycoproteins from saliva, and other components. This is the cause of periodontal disease. Calculus is calcified plaque.
02. Calculus means there’s periodontal disease. Calculus on the teeth does not mean the patient has periodontal disease. Attachment loss means the patient has periodontal disease.
03. Clean teeth mean the mouth is healthy. A patient can have calculus free and still have periodontal disease. It is the plaque causing disease below the gumline that determines if the mouth is healthy or not.
04. Dog breath or cat breath is normal. Halitosis means there is bad bacteria in the mouth causing pathology.
05. My client will not take their pet to a veterinary dentist. Do not make those decisions for clients. Offer them the options available and let them decide.
06. My clients will not trust me if I refer them. Most clients will appreciate the honesty and options available.
07. A loose tooth does not need to be extracted. It can fall out on its own. A loose tooth is uncomfortable and can be painful. It can be moving while the pet chews and traumatizing other areas of the mouth. It will also leave an open hole after it has fallen out.
08. Only teeth that are loose need to be extracted. Teeth need to be extracted for many reasons, and they may not be mobile.
09. Chunks of calculus can be scraped off while the pet is awake. The tooth and/or soft tissues may be damaged during this. It is also not helping the disease to just crack chunks off.
10. Dog mouths are cleaner than people’s mouths. They are not.
11. We only need to do dental procedures if they are at a grade 3 or 4. We truly do not know the extent of disease until they are anesthetized, and a complete oral exam and imaging are performed.
12. Grade 1 dental disease can wait for a procedure. Prevention is key. We do not want to wait until there is severe pathology in the mouth. We can treat pathology as it happens and help prevent it from getting worse.
13. Dental treatments, including teeth cleaning, are cosmetic only. Periodontal disease affects the entire health of the body.
14. Only radiograph what is going to be extracted. We need full mouth radiographs.
15. Only radiographs grade 3 or 4. We need full mouth radiographs.
16. Only radiograph pathology or what “looks bad.” We need full mouth radiographs.
17. We do not need post extraction radiographs. We need post extraction radiographs to confirm the entire root and tip have been extracted & that the bone is intact. One would not perform a cystotomy or fracture repair without obtaining a post radiograph.
18. If a pet is fed a raw diet, they do not need dental procedures. They still need routine dental procedures.
19. Hard bones, antlers, chews will clean the teeth. These items will not clean the teeth and may fracture the teeth.
20. Hard, dry kibble will clean the teeth. A dental diet will help clean the teeth, but just dry kibble will not.
21. If a fractured tooth does not seem painful, it does not need treatment. All teeth fractures involving the pulp are a source of pain and infection and need to either be extracted or have a root canal therapy performed.
22. A geriatric pet cannot go under anesthesia. Age is not a disease. It can predispose the patient to have disease. Proper workups can be performed to determine what is best for that patient.
23. All dental procedures get X, Y, & Z anesthesia protocol. All anesthesia protocols should be tailored to ensure that patient’s health status, disease, procedure, and post op care.
24. Dental procedures are not necessary; the vet just wants the money. Periodontal disease is the most common disease found in pets over the age of two.
25. We cannot detect periodontal disease until it is at a stage 3 or 4. We can detect stage 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 periodontal disease while performing a comprehensive oral examination including full mouth radiographs with proper training.
26. Periodontal disease is normal with aging. Dental disease may progress faster with aging, but it can be managed, treated, and prevented to a point at any age.
27. My pet is eating so the mouth is fine. Pets, and people will still eat with oral pain.
28. My pet is not eating, so it must be the mouth. It very well may be, but it could also be something else. This is a wonderful opportunity to perform a complete workup to determine the health status of the patient.
29. It is ok to “watch” pathology and see what happens. It will get worse and will not resolve on its own.
30. It is ok to crown amputate cats’ teeth with tooth resorption. Obtain full mouth radiographs and determine if the teeth need to be extracted or if they can have a crown amputation based on the type diagnosed on radiographs.
31. Antibiotics are a treatment for periodontal disease. Antibiotics are not a treatment for periodontal disease.
32. My clients will not perform home dental care on their pets. Some pet owners will. Take the time to demonstrate home dental care with the pet parent.
33. It does not matter what grit size of prophy paste I use. Use fine or pumice prophy paste, or medium. Coarse is too coarse.
34. I only need to use one ultrasonic scaler tip. There are perio, universal/standard, and beaver tail ultrasonic scaler tips. Use the appropriate one for the intended use for efficiency and safety.
35. I can use the ultrasonic scaler tip indefinitely. They wear down. Check them with the tip wear guide regularly.
36. Anesthesia free dental cleanings are safer and cheaper. Anesthesia free dental cleanings are cosmetic only and do not replace anesthetized professional care.
Once we know what the correct information is, we can communicate that to the pet parents of our patients.
