Dental disease is the most common health problem in dogsâstudies estimate over 80% of dogs over 3 years have some degree of periodontal disease. Despite its prevalence, dental disease is often invisible to owners and undertreated by veterinarians. The chronic pain and systemic health impacts of periodontal disease represent a significant, largely unaddressed welfare burden in companion dogs.
Periodontal disease causes chronic, often severe oral pain. Yet dogs rarely stop eatingâfood drive overrides pain signalingâcreating the common but false owner belief that a dog who eats normally cannot have painful teeth. Research using pain biomarkers confirms that dental disease causes chronic pain; successful dental treatment produces measurable behavioral improvements including increased activity, better appetite, and improved demeanor that owners attribute to the dog seeming "younger."
Without prevention, dental disease progresses: plaque accumulates (within hours of cleaning), mineralizes to calculus (within days), causes gingivitis (reversible), then periodontitis (irreversible bone and tissue loss), tooth root abscesses, tooth loss, and potentially spread of infection to the jaw, heart, kidneys, and liver. Each stage involves increasing pain and welfare impairment.
Daily tooth brushingâthe gold standardâremoves plaque before it mineralizes. Owner compliance is often poor; alternatives include dental diets (Hills T/d, Royal Canin Dental), dental chews (VOHC-approved products), water additives, and dental wipes. No alternative matches the efficacy of daily brushing but combinations reduce disease progression.
Dental scaling under general anaesthesia is required to treat established disease. Pre-anaesthetic assessment, appropriate pain management, and thorough dental examination including dental radiographs are welfare requirements. Post-operative analgesia is essential.
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