Periodontal disease affects over 80% of dogs over 3 years old and is a leading source of chronic oral pain. Prevention through daily home care and professional treatment dramatically improves welfare.
Dental disease causes chronic pain that dogs mask through normal feeding behavior. The gum inflammation, bone loss, and tooth root exposure of advanced periodontitis are genuinely painful conditions that many dogs endure without owners recognizing the cause. Post-dental-treatment behavioral changes - increased energy, more interactive, better appetite - regularly reveal how much dogs had been suffering. Beginning tooth brushing in puppyhood is the single most effective long-term welfare intervention for dental health. Annual professional cleaning prevents disease progression that is irreversible once bone loss occurs.