Talking pet dental health with U of M

During pet dental health month, Dr. Jennifer Kelley, an assistant professor of Dentistry and Oral Surgery in the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine, shares ways to support your pet’s dental health.

Q:  How does my pet’s dental health impact their overall health? 
Dr. Kelley: Like with humans, pet oral issues can be a problem if not properly cared for. One of the most common dental pet diseases is periodontal disease, which is inflammation of the gums from accumulation of plaque and bacteria beneath the gum line. If left untreated, it can lead to discomfort, inflammation and infection. Ongoing symptoms can negatively impact our pet’s overall health. Fortunately, there is a lot we can do to support our pet’s dental health to keep them healthy and free from oral pain!

Q: Should I make changes to my pet’s food and treats?
Dr. Kelley: Some diets are specifically formulated to help clean big chewing teeth. This can minimize plaque and calculus formation, which helps with periodontal health. I encourage folks to visit the Veterinary Oral Health Council website for a complete list of approved diets, treats, dental chews, toothpaste and other products to support your pet’s dental health. 

You can also brush your pet’s teeth with a soft bristle brush once daily (or every other day) and use dog- or cat-safe toothpaste. Like us, if teeth are brushed less frequently, plaque can harden into calculus which cannot then be brushed away. Unlike humans, plaque removal can only be safely removed under general anesthesia. If teethbrushing would be new for your pet, try slowly introducing brushing to their routine, and give them a high value reward after each short session. Focus on brushing the outside of the upper teeth, making small circles near the gumline. If your pet will let you brush the outsides of the lower teeth — even better! Remember! Pets cannot rinse and spit so they cannot use human toothpastes designed to not be swallowed. 

Q: How often should I get my pet’s teeth cleaned?
Dr. Kelley: In general, an annual anesthetized oral exam and dental cleaning with dental x-rays is recommended to maintain our pet’s periodontal health and identify any problems that need to be addressed. Teeth are like icebergs and we need dental radiographs to see what is going on beneath the surface to best care for pets’ oral health. 

Dental cleanings are also most safely performed under general anesthesia. We cannot tell our pets to say “aah”, so to keep them safe and clean adequately beneath the gum line we need them to be well monitored under general anesthesia. Periodontal disease progresses when plaque and calculus accumulate beneath the gum line, and it is impossible to clean beneath the gum line on an awake pet. 

Q: What are common issues in cats or dogs dental health?
Dr. Kelley: Fractured or broken teeth can be painful and can result in an infection around the root of the tooth. If your pet’s teeth change shape then they may be fractured and a veterinary exam is recommended.

Fractured teeth can be preserved with root canal therapy and metal crowns which allow the pet to continue to use the tooth or they should be extracted if the fracture extends into the pulp (nerve and blood supply). Some pets have misaligned teeth or jaws that can compromise the health of their other teeth. Your vet can share various options to treat these misalignments to ensure pets have comfortable and functional mouths.

Cats commonly develop tooth resorption, which is when the body eats away at the crown root junction resulting in pain, inflammation and eventual tooth loss. This is a painful condition, and tooth extraction is recommended to restore the mouth to being disease and pain-free. The mouth is also unfortunately a common site for pets to develop tumors, which can be very aggressive. I strongly recommend frequently looking in our pets mouths especially as they age, and taking your pet in to see your veterinarian right away if a mass is noted. 

Q: Are there dental treatments the U of M offers to support healthier pets?
Dr. Kelley: The University of Minnesota has a specialized CT machine that takes cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of our pets heads, which gives us more information about any issues they are facing, and helps us better understand challenging cases. We also have a world-class conventional CT that allows us to assess oral tumors and look for evidence of spread to distant organs to better determine prognosis and treatment options. 

Our excellent specialty anesthesia service allows us to be able to anesthetize pets that many hospitals are not comfortable anesthetizing, such as pets with advanced heart disease, or patients with kidney or liver disease. With our access to advanced imaging and our specialty services, we can achieve a great deal to support pet oral health. 

Jennifer Kelley is an assistant professor of Dentistry and Oral Surgery in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Kelley is passionate about providing high quality patient care and offering advanced oral surgery treatments to companion, equine and food animal species alike. 

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About the College of Veterinary Medicine
The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine affects the lives of animals and people every day through educational, research, service, and outreach programs. Established in 1947, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine is Minnesota’s only veterinary college. Fully accredited, the college has graduated nearly 4,400 veterinarians and hundreds of scientists. The college is also home to the Veterinary Medical Center, the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the Leatherdale Equine Center and The Raptor Center. To learn more, visit vetmed.umn.edu.

About “Talking…with U of M”
“Talking…with U of M” is a resource whereby University of Minnesota faculty answer questions on current and other topics of general interest. Feel free to republish this content. If you would like to schedule an interview with the faculty member or have topics you’d like the University of Minnesota to explore for future “Talking…with U of M,” please contact University Public Relations at [email protected].