Oral infections are very common in dogs and cats, up to 70% of pets suffer from them during their lifetime. However, with good home care and tartar cleaning under anesthesia, you can keep your pet’s mouth and teeth healthy!
At Aisti, we perform all dental treatments under inhalation anesthesia, supervised by an experienced nurse. We do calculus cleaning, dental x-rays and surgical removal of both baby teeth and permanent teeth.
Gingivitis
Both cats and dogs have gingivitis. Its symptoms include redness, swelling and bleeding of the gums.
Gingivitis is cured with tartar cleaning performed under anesthesia, which also cleans the gum pockets
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that typically occurs in dogs, but also in cats. In it, the tooth’s supporting tissue becomes inflamed, and when it progresses far enough, periodontitis causes bone loss in the jawbone surrounding the tooth’s roots.
In addition to gingivitis symptoms, the symptoms of periodontitis include bad breath, receding gums, and when the inflammation progresses far enough, teeth loosening and pain. At the beginning, the symptoms may be mild, but when it progresses far enough, periodontitis can at worst lead to bone loss, especially in small dogs, even to a fracture of the jawbone. Strong inflammation in the mouth can also lead to the spread of bacteria to other parts of the body along with the bloodstream.
Periodontitis teeth are surgically removed under general anesthesia.
Tooth decay in cats
Tooth decay in cats (TR or tooth resorption) is very common in cats, and causes pain as it progresses. Most often, tooth decay starts below the gum, and is invisible to the eye.
The initial changes are usually painless. When the changes progress to the crown of the tooth, i.e. the visible part, they cause a pit on the surface of the tooth. Tooth enamel and tooth bone wear away and the core of the tooth is exposed. Usually the gums grow to cover the changes, but such advanced changes cause the cat pain.
The treatment of tooth decay is the removal of sufficiently decayed teeth under general anesthesia.
Tooth fractures
Tooth fractures are quite common in dogs, and they also occur in cats. Broken teeth in dogs are often caused by chewing or bumping into a hard object or bone. Tooth fractures in cats are most often caused by falls. Often the crown of the tooth, i.e. the visible part, breaks, but sometimes the fracture can be located below the gum line.
Tooth fractures are classified into uncomplicated and complicated fractures. In a complicated tooth fracture, the fracture does not reach the core of the tooth. In a complicated tooth fracture, a piece of the crown of the tooth breaks off so large that the core of the tooth is exposed.
All tooth fractures should always be x-rayed to determine the extent of the fracture, and to also see possible fractures below the gum line. Teeth that have chipped to the core are usually painful and should be surgically removed.
Milk teeth
In puppies, milk teeth may not erupt, in which case it is usually appropriate to remove them surgically. Permanent teeth may grow into the wrong position if baby teeth prevent them from growing into the correct position. This can cause a malocclusion.