Periodontal disease affects the vast majority of dogs over age three, causing chronic pain that dogs hide so effectively it often goes unrecognized and untreated for years.
Dental disease is perhaps the most widespread yet invisible welfare problem affecting companion dogs. The fact that dogs continue eating - and owners therefore assume no problem exists - allows chronic oral pain to persist unaddressed for years. Dogs experiencing dental pain often show subtle behavioral changes: preference for soft food, reluctance to chew hard items, head-shyness, irritability. These signals are rarely connected to dental disease without veterinary assessment. The systemic inflammatory effects of chronic periodontal disease may also affect quality of life beyond the mouth. The failure to recognize and treat dental disease is a welfare failure that affects the majority of adult dogs.