Key Points to Discuss with the Pet Owners 

• Maintain good oral hygiene from an early age.
• Brush your pet’s teeth daily using a pet-specific toothpaste. Avoid human toothpaste.
• Schedule regular professional dental cleanings with your veterinarian.
• Treat gingivitis promptly to prevent irreversible periodontal damage.
• In advanced cases, extraction of severely affected teeth may be necessary to eliminate chronic infection.
• Dry, crunchy diets may help reduce plaque buildup, but cannot remove hardened tartar.
• Complete removal of plaque and calculus requires professional dental cleaning under anesthesia.

What is Periodontal Disease?

Periodontal disease is a progressive inflammation of the tissues supporting the teeth, caused by the accumulation of dental plaque.

It typically progresses through:

• Gingivitis (early gum inflammation)
• Gingival hyperplasia (gum overgrowth)
• Periodontitis with destruction of the supporting bone (vertical or horizontal bone loss)

If left untreated, it can eventually result in tooth loss.

Disease Severity

• Grade 1: Mild gingivitis.
• Grade 2: Mild gingivitis with tartar deposits on most or all teeth.
• Grade 3: Severe gingivitis with significant bone loss, oral pain, and advanced periodontal damage.

Gingivitis

• Gingivitis is the earliest and reversible stage of periodontal disease.
• It develops when plaque and tartar accumulate along the gum line (gingival sulcus).
• Bacteria usually do not invade the gums directly. Instead, bacteria within plaque release enzymes that trigger inflammation.
• The body’s inflammatory response may lead to redness, swelling, and gingival hyperplasia. In some animals, gingival hyperplasia may also be breed-related or drug-induced.
• As plaque hardens, it forms dental calculus (tartar), which protects bacteria and promotes further disease.

Disease Progression

In gingivitis, inflammation is limited to the gums, and the attachment of the teeth remains intact.

Without treatment, the disease progresses to periodontitis, where:

Periodontal pockets develop.

• The periodontal ligament begins to break down.
• Alveolar bone is progressively resorbed.

Once bone and supporting tissues are lost, the damage is permanent and cannot be reversed.