Dental disease affects the majority of dogs over three years old and causes chronic pain that is frequently unrecognized because dogs continue to eat despite significant oral disease.
Canine dental disease causes chronic pain on a massive scale. The majority of adult dogs in companion settings have some degree of periodontal disease, and many of these animals experience significant daily oral pain that their owners do not recognize. Because dogs eat through pain rather than refusing food, owners often assume their dog has no dental problems. Behavioral changes — reluctance to chew hard toys, head shyness, altered food preferences — are the subtle signs that owners can learn to recognize. Professional dental assessment and cleaning, combined with home prevention, dramatically improves quality of life for affected dogs.