Dental care important to pets' health

Savory, sweet, spicy, hearty, fresh and light or rich and full of flavor, an integral part of our survival, food can be an even bigger part of what we enjoy about life – and that makes the tools used to enjoy it pretty important.

Used to pulverize, chew, grind, tear and cut, the teeth are a critical part of maintaining the nutrient intake needed to stay alive.

Aside from protecting them from obvious injuries, it doesn’t take long to realize that ridding the teeth of sticky food and things that get lodged between them plays a significant role in keeping them.

Even ancient civilizations realized the importance of cleaning teeth. There’s evidence that as early as 3000 BC, ancient cultures had adopted chew sticks, small twigs chewed until they frayed then used to “brush” the surface of the teeth.

And taking care of one’s teeth is a trend that has persisted.

The closest thing to the toothbrush we know and love today emerged in China in the late 1400s in the form of the short hairs from the back of a hog’s neck attached to bamboo or bone, a design that was used for more than 400 years, when nylon revolutionized the toothbrush in the late 1930s.

By World War II, dental hygiene had become a priority and soldiers returned from war with a new-found passion for oral hygiene.

Nowadays, it’s fair to say clean and healthy teeth are an established part of social expectations and the attention they receive — from orthodontics to whitening and veneers — conscientious mouth care is probably higher than it’s ever been in the history of mankind.

While we’ve done a remarkable job of improving our dental health as a species, however, we may still be failing members of the family when it comes to tooth and mouth care.

Just as dependent on their teeth and prone to getting up close and personal with the ones they love — an unpleasant experience if rotten teeth and bacteria are thriving — our critter family members can suffer from stinky breath, decay and oral disease that could be prevented.

February is National Pet Dental Health Month, an awareness campaign promoted by the veterinary community in an effort to raise awareness, and hopefully, encourage folks to help their pets (who can’t hold a tooth brush, or, for that matter, understand their breath is getting rank) maintain good dental health.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, signs of dental problems in cats and dogs include:

Bad breath, broken or loose teeth, extra teeth or baby teeth that didn’t fall out, discolored or tartar covered teeth, abnormal chewing, drooling or dropping food, reduced appetite or refusal to eat, mouth pain or bleeding and swelling in or around the mouth and behavior changes or irritability.

And as you may well guess, the leading advice for preventing dental problems is brushing, regularly — at least once a week — and thoroughly. A habit best begun with young animals, even an older pet can eventually learn to allow their teeth to be brushed.

Using fingertip brushes or a soft cloth, it is recommended that pet owners make a habit of scrubbing their critter’s toofers, using specially formulated pet toothpaste — don’t use products for humans as they contain fluoride and other additives that can be hazardous to pets.

Beyond at-home efforts, pets should have regular dental checks by the veterinarian and periodic professional cleanings, much as humans do.

Taking care of your pet’s mouth not only spares them unnecessary discomfort, it will make kisses from your animal pal that much more pleasant.

Sharna Johnson is always searching for ponies. Contact her at: [email protected]