Periodontal disease in dogs.

Periodontal disease is caused by plaque,plaque contains 100 trillion bacterial cells in every gram under the gum line. This causes “pockets” to form around teeth as bone and gum tissue, which normally fit tightly around each tooth, are destroyed.Plaque bacteria are 100 times more resistant to antiseptics, and antibiotics won’t resolve the problem either, but mechanical removal will. The purpose of periodontal therapy is to prevent bone loss, because bone loss has severe consequences that can be fatal. The prevention of plaque is the best therapy and this can be initiated by oral hygiene using by routine brushing of dog's teeth. A large number of dogs have periodontal disease as high as 85% which is partly due to the early onset in younger dogs,thus its important to incorporate oral hygiene early. Oral hygiene can be in form of brushing,use of oral rinse or dental chews. Stages of periodontal disease. 1) Gingivitis: This is the only reversible stage and signs include bleeding, swelling and glistening gingiva. Identifying and treating gingivitis early on can successfully prevent more serious problems from developing, and there is no bone loss. 2)There is bone loss of less than 25% and periodontal pocket depths of 3 to 5 mm. This is not severe for a large-breed pet such as a golden retriever or Rottweiler, but it can be extremely severe in a pets under 6kg. 3) The bone loss of more than 25% and less than 50% is characteristic and treatment plan is based on the tooth size and amount of attachment loss. 4) There is about 50% bone loss, teeth in this stage are loosely attached and extractions are the only option.