Jack, a handsome middle-aged Sheltie, had a nasty looking molar on his lower jaw.
Although it didn't seem to bother him very much, the red and apparently infected gum around the tooth worried Jack's owner.
So off he went to the veterinarian, Dr. Debbie Myers, who says dental work and dental care are taking up more and more of her practice at her Four Paws animal hospital in Greenwood. Myers, like other veterinarians, has outfitted the clinic with dental equipment that is similar to the apparatus that humans encounter at the dentist.
Myers said she took a shine to animal dentistry before graduating from Mississippi State University's veterinary college and setting up practice in Greenwood going on four years ago.
In vet school, she took a class in animal dentistry and found she especially enjoyed learning not only how to clean an animal's teeth and gums, but also more advanced treatments, such as root canals and filling cavities.
"It was really fun. I liked it lot," said Myers. So she has continued this enthusiasm in her practice. A typical week brings in a varying number of cases where anything from teeth cleaning to one of the more complicated treatments is required.
"We've had four or five in a week, and we've done two in a week," Myers explained.
Let's say someone brings a dog or cat into the clinic. The animal's having some sort of gum or tooth problem. Right away, Myers will consider cleaning those teeth. This usually requires sedation.
"The first thing we do is just like what the regular dentist would do. We scale the teeth with a hand-scaler, and go below the gumline."
If that's all that is needed, then she gives the teeth a good polish.
However, Myers said, "Sometimes we do need to pull a tooth here and there. We don't set out to pull teeth. We want to keep their teeth as much as we can."
Meanwhile, she's been trying to educate animal owners about how to care for their pets' teeth.
This is a relatively new concept. In the past, dogs and cats didn't live as long as they do today. Also, pets are eating more processed foods these days.
And then, there are now so many small breeds. Some of these, such as a pug or a Peke, have small mouths that predispose them to dental disease.
Some dogs have horrible breath that their owners can't help but notice. "People really are face to face with their dogs," Myers said. "Their teeth should not be stinky."
Bad breath in dogs can be caused by gastro-intestinal problems. But that awful odor might be related to a piece of bone lodged in the teeth or to disease.
Dogs and cats don't get cavities at the same rate as people because pets usually don't eat sweets. But animals, all the same, do get cavities, and some suffer from broken teeth, abscesses, ulcers and inflammation.
Myers said it's sad that an animal can't tell people about pain, so nothing is done. That's why prevention seems like a good idea to her.
Brushing a pet's teeth controls plaque and periodontal disease. Do this every day, Myers suggests.
That may seem like a lot of trouble. What if a person has four dogs?
Well, brushing their teeth even once a week will cut down on the plaque buildup that causes disease.
Or try using a product that will accomplish the same result. These include treats that scrape away debris as the animal eats. "It's like handing them a toothbrush," she said.
When brushing a pet's teeth, use a toothbrush and toothpaste made for animals.
She's not especially enthusiastic about using baking soda and definitely warns against using regular toothpaste.
People spit out their toothpaste, but animals swallow it, and that's not good for them. Pet owners who don't want to buy special paste should just cleanse their animals' teeth with a brush and water, she said.
All of this is not as hard as it sounds, Myers said. Try to make tooth-brushing a positive experience.
Start by just handling the mouth for a minute or two.
Then, slip a finger or fingers into the mouth. Try to open it. Do this several times over a period of days.
Finally, try to brush a tooth. Use a circular motion with the brush angled about 45 degrees from the line of the gum. Use just a bit of paste, and add more as needed.
Be quiet, gentle and firm. Don't push to get too much done at first.
After a while, a dog or cat will start to like the attention. Myers laughed and said, "They love it when you are messing around in their mouth."
