Dental disease affects the majority of adult dogs and causes chronic pain that is often unrecognized. Prevention through daily toothbrushing and regular professional care significantly improves dog welfare.
Dental disease in dogs is a silent welfare epidemic. The majority of adult dogs have some degree of periodontal disease causing chronic pain, yet most owners are unaware because dogs continue eating and behaving relatively normally. The pain of inflamed gums, infected teeth, and dental abscesses is genuine and cumulative — affecting mood, sleep, and overall quality of life. Daily toothbrushing from puppyhood prevents most dental disease inexpensively and non-invasively. Regular professional cleaning addresses disease that has already developed. Treating dental pain through tooth extraction frequently produces dramatic behavioral improvements in previously subdued or irritable dogs, demonstrating how much pain they were carrying unrecognized.