160 Bear Christiana Rd
Bear, De 19701
302-322-6488
Dr. Jim Berg
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Dental Care
Your puppy has "baby" teeth that will be replaced by an adult set of teeth. The baby teeth generally
start to become loose and fall out when your puppy is approximately 12 weeks of age and are all out by about 16-20
weeks of age. If the baby teeth are not all gone by the time your pet is 6 months old, we recommend they be pulled
while your pet is anesthetized for his or her neuter in order to prevent complications that could arise from the
baby teeth not falling out. This second set of teeth is your pet's permanent set of teeth that they will need for
their lifetime.
Dental disease can be serious problem in pets, which can result in pain (especially when your pet eats), difficulty
eating when trying to get the food from the food bowl into his/her mouth, tooth loss (teeth may fall out or need
to be extracted), bad breath, abscesses on the face, and reddened gums. With serious dental disease the bacteria
in the plaque can get into the bloodstream and cause infections in your pet's other organs such as the kidneys,
heart, lungs, and liver. Many of these problems can be avoided by starting your pet on preventative dental care
at home.
To limit plaque and tartar build-up on your pet's teeth and to prevent the need for repeated cleanings (and anesthesia)
in our office we recommend routine brushing, feeding special treats, and yearly physical exams:
First, we recommend brushing your pet's teeth with a fingerbrush and toothpaste specifically formulated to reduce
bacteria typically found in animal mouths. The fingerbrush fits over your finger like a thimble and is therefore
often not viewed as a chew toy or a scary object coming at your pet's mouth. Daily brushing is best, but any brushing
is better than none.
Secondly, there are specially designed treats called T/D that have special enzymes in their formula that stick
to your pet's teeth and help decrease bacteria and plaque formation. T/D is actually a food, but we do not feel
it is well balanced enough to be fed exclusively. They do however work wonderful as treats.
Thirdly, Pedigree makes a special chew rawhide called a Dentabone that is specially formulated to prevent tatar
buil-up and promote gum health. They are safe for dogs to chew and eat pieces as they break off and… dogs love
them!!!
Finally, there is a product called Maxiguard Gel, which is be applied to your pet's teeth once a week to prevent
plaque build-up. This product works well, but brushing the teeth and/or using the T/D treats seem to prevent plaque
build-up better. Maxiguard Gel is a better alternative for pets who will not tolerate training to have their teeth
brushed and/or for owners who can honestly not add yet another task such as brushing their pet's teeth to their
already busy schedules!
There are other products, such as mouthwashes, which may be recommended for your individual pet's dental care program.
You should begin a dental program as soon as possible since your pet needs to be trained to accept having its teeth
brushed. With time and patience most animals learn to accept, and even like, having their teeth brushed.
Sometime during the course of your pet's life, we may recommend that your pet have a dental cleaning performed.
This means that your pet will need to be anesthetized so that the teeth can be cleaned with an electronic scaler
to remove existing plaque and tartar. The teeth will be polished to make the surface smooth and completely clean.
This procedure can be more fully explained to you should the need for a dental arise in your pet.
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