February is National Pet Dental Care Month. At what age in our pet's life should we start to be concerned about dental care?
As soon as possible while your pet is still young. Know what its teeth and mouth look like, get it accustomed to having its mouth opened and handled. You won't know what an abnormal situation is in your pet's mouth if you don't know what it normally looks like.
Do young puppies and kittens have temporary teeth like people?
Yes. Puppies and kittens are born without teeth, but develop temporary or deciduous teeth by a few weeks of age. Usually by weaning age, a puppy or kitten has all its baby teeth in place. These baby teeth are not long-lived, as they begin to be replaced by adult or permanent teeth, starting at 3 months of age and are all replaced by the time the puppy or kitten is 6 months old.
Once a pet has its adult teeth in place, what kind of dental care should a pet owner consider for it?
Young adult animals will normally have nice, clean, white teeth, and dental chew toys of various types would be a good way to keep them in pristine condition. For pet owners that want to do more for their pet's dental health, brushing should begin when the pet is young. At that age, brushing is more readily accepted and will train them to allow their teeth to be brushed for the rest of their life.
How often should a pet's teeth be brushed?
Just like our teeth -- the more often their teeth are brushed, the better their dental health. But to be realistic, if you can brush your pet's teeth every other day, you will make a big difference in its dental health, not to mention its breath.
As some pets get older, they get a brown buildup on their teeth. Can this be brushed off?
The brown buildup covering the teeth is called tartar. It starts out innocently enough as food particles and bacteria on the teeth, which is called plaque. Over time, plaque changes to a very hard substance, called tartar. You can brush the plaque off, but getting tartar off with a toothbrush isn't as easy. The goal of brushing your pet's teeth is to keep plaque off, and if that is accomplished, tartar won't ever develop.
Is tartar buildup a sign of tooth deterioration?
The more tartar on the teeth, the worse shape the teeth are likely to be in. When you see tartar on your pet's teeth, it's time to ask your veterinarian for advice on how to handle it.
