What's Going On In My Pet's Mouth?

"I love kisses, but your breath is bad beyond belief. Have you eaten something dead?"

Maybe your pet did eat something dead, but the awful breath may not be his fault. Have you been brushing his teeth daily? Does he have regular dental check-ups?

O.K. it is not so easy to brush every pet's teeth. I have some patients that would eat me alive if I attempted to brush their teeth. But there are many pets who tolerate tooth brushing quite well. Dr. Tony Shipp in Beverly Hills once said, "Only brush the teeth you want to save." That is a motto I always remember, because it is so true.

Your pet eats, and the food particles plus bacteria (including bacterial by-products) and saliva become plaque. If the plaque is not brushed or wiped away, mineralization occurs. This hard substance on your pet's teeth & under the gum is called calculus. Plaque and calculus cause disease in the mouth and tooth loss. This is what we want to avoid when we encourage you to have your pet's teeth cleaned.