You want your dog to be healthy and happy for years to come. It's up to you to take notice of your dog's oral health. This guide has been published in order to help you understand what to look for in order to assess the health of his teeth and gums between visits to the vet.

Checking Your Dog's Mouth

How do you know if your dog has dental problems?  You can begin to determine this by lifting his lip and looking inside. Tartar appears as a brownish yellow or red discoloration close to the gum line. What should be healthy pink gums will look red and swollen. Another obvious sign of dental disease is bad breath. Gum bleeding upon gentle probing with your fingers is another easily noticeable sign.

Stages of Dental Disease:

The dog is most likely very young, or is following an oral care routine including regular trips to the vet, and his teeth are likely being brushed at home. Specially designed oral care treats can be an effective way to help remove plaque and tartar build-up.

Healthy

The dog's gums are uniformly pink with no swelling or redness. And they do not bleed with gentle probing. There is no obvious receding of the gum line, and no tartar is visible on the teeth. The dog is most likely very young, or is following an oral care routine including regular trips to the vet, and his teeth are likely being brushed at home.  Specially designed oral care treats can be an effective way to help remove plaque and tartar build-up.

Gingivitis

With gingivitis, a dog's gums can become irritated and inflamed as plaque and tartar build up in the space between the teeth and gums. This can lead to discomfort, redness, and perhaps bleeding with gentle probing. Gingivitis is a common condition in dogs.

Early Periodontitis

Left untreated, gingivitis can develop into the next phase of early periodontitis. In addition to the symptoms of gingivitis, you will notice the gums beginning to recede, obvious plaque and tartar build-up, as well as bad breath. Damage to gums may be irreversible and may increase the risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream to other parts of the body.

Advanced Periodontitis

At this stage a dog's gums will appear to be separated from the tooth, and the ligaments attaching the tooth to the socket may be destroyed, causing bleeding, severe pain and tooth loss. Bacteria from the mouth may have spread through the  blood stream and may cause bacterial infections that can affect vital organs such as the heart and kidney.

Other Indicators of Dental Disease in Dogs

Dental disease can also impact your dog's behaviour. You may find that your dog has become short-tempered, and suddenly resists having his mouth or head area touched. In very extreme cases, the dog may eat less because he's having difficulty chewing his food.