ON my first time reading Five Children and It, ‘jumping toothache’ leaped out at me and still does every time I touch a painful mouth.
Our friends have a remarkable ability to hide pain but just because she’s still eating it doesn’t mean your pet isn’t bothered — toothache sucks.
Behaving ‘older’, reluctance to play, changes in food preference, oral odour or drooling may all indicate teeth that would have us running to the dentist’s chair.
Apart from pain, gingivitis is a gateway for bacteria — liver abscesses, kidney problems and heart disease are all more common in animals with bad teeth.
Dental surgery is one of the skills your vet will have trained and practised in.
Few aspects of animal care approach the technical challenge of good dentistry — endless patience, expertise and advanced equipment are all critical.
Technologies like dental X-rays make a huge difference to safety and understanding of the disease.
Anaesthesia is also key — it’s safer for your pet and means the work done can be gentle and exact.
Conscious scaling appeals to many as an inexpensive and seemingly safer option but without regulation we see teeth damaged and animals terrified of oral examination.
An appropriate anaesthetic comes with extensive pain relief — nerve blocks, premedication and post-surgical management — all important for a quick return to health.
As with many things today, part of the consideration has to be around cost.
Dental surgery is expensive — safe anaesthesia, hours of work, dedicated nursing care and a multitude of drugs.
To avoid shocks get an estimate and use a practice with fixed prices to keep things clear.
Whilst it may not feel like it, dentistry is often heavily discounted compared to other operations of similar time and difficulty — we think it’s that important.
A healthy mouth supports a healthy, happy body.
Our columnist Will Trewarman MRCVS is a senior veterinary surgeon at Vale Vets which is based in Kidderminster and Stourport.
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