Companion Animals

Companion Dog Dental Radiography Welfare Benefits

Dental radiography reveals hidden dental disease in dogs, enabling treatment of pain-causing conditions often missed by visual examination.

Key Facts

Up to 60% of tooth structure lies below the gumline and is invisible without radiography
Tooth root abscesses cause significant pain with no external signs visible to owners
Dental radiography is now considered standard of care in veterinary dentistry
Many dogs show behaviour changes after dental treatment indicating prior pain

Welfare Considerations

Dogs live with chronic dental pain that goes unrecognised because they rarely show overt signs. Dental radiography enables identification and treatment of painful conditions, often producing marked behaviour and demeanour improvements post-treatment.

What You Can Do

Request dental radiography at your dog's dental procedure
Ask your vet about full-mouth dental radiography as part of dental care
Have dogs showing facial swelling or reluctance to eat assessed promptly