Dental disease is the most prevalent health problem in companion animals and causes chronic pain that is frequently underrecognised and undertreated by owners and veterinary teams.
Dental disease welfare costs are frequently invisible to owners because companion animals continue to eat despite oral pain - a survival behaviour that masks suffering. The welfare cost of widespread untreated dental disease is enormous. Veterinary dental assessments at annual health checks can detect disease early when treatment is simpler and welfare costs are lower. Daily tooth brushing in pets habituated to the procedure from puppyhood dramatically reduces dental disease burden.