Your Dog’s Dental Health – Does It Affect Their Heart Health?
August 14, 2009
There is often controversy among veterinary professionals regarding the connection between dental health and cardiac health. Although some believe the connection is not as strong as others, my point of view is “Why take the risk?” There is a relatively simple way to reduce the risk of tooth decay. And if healthy teeth reduce the risk of heart disease, these tips are well worth your time and effort.
Teeth and Heart Connection
If your dog is getting older, the most reliable way to get rid of tartar and plague is to have your veterinarian properly administer anesthesia and then scale and clean the tartar and plaque off of your dog’s teeth. A dog’s teeth in the back of their mouth are especially suseptible to getting a lot of plaque.
Brush Your Dog’s Teeth
Let’s assume that there is a correlation between dental health and heart disease. The best and least risky course of action is to prevent the tartar and plaque from forming in the first place. No dog is especially happy to have their teeth brushed, even with the specially prepared toothpastes on the market today. So, don’t overdo it the first few days. And, be gentle. Your dog’s gums are likely to be sensitive if you have never brushed his teeth before.
However, it is as important to get both you AND your dog in the habit of going through this ritual every day. One important note: do NOT use human toothpaste. It is dangerous for any living being to ingest the ingredients in toothpaste made for humans. (Just take a look at the warning labels on ANY tube of toothpaste made for humans if you need proof of that statement!) So, make sure you buy toothpaste made especially for dogs!
Dog Toothbrushes
I have a couple of different toothbrushes I use for my dog. One has a long handle on it for reaching his back teeth. The other brush has a small handle and a small brushing surface. The other alternative is to use a toothbrush specially designed to brush both the front and back surfaces of a tooth simultaneously. I find that I use both brushes because the small brush can get into the small crevices and the “nooks & crannies” of the surface of his back teeth better than a large brush head.
Although I brush both the outside and the inside of my dog’s teeth, my vet believes it is especially important to brush the outside of their teeth, meaning, the surface of your dog’s teeth closest to their cheeks.
Dental Chews
I have also found that a good enzematic dental chew is an effective way to keep plaque away. My dog loves the dental chew I buy for him. He licks it, tosses it up in the air like a toy, and generally has a good time with it before getting down to the business of gnawing on it.
The combination of daily tooth brushing and a dental chew will keep your dog’s teeth in beautiful condition AND will eliminate the worry of dental decay adding risk to your dog’s overall health and well-being.
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