What is periodontal disease?
Periodontal disease is an infection and inflammation of the structures that anchor the teeth in place, including the gums. These structures are called the periodontium, which is where the name for the disease comes from. Once a dog or cat gets periodontal disease, it never goes away and must be treated to prevent long-term damage. Unfortunately, many pet owners aren’t aware of the disease and haven’t heard that early treatment is important.
Stages of Periodontal Disease
1. Healthy
• The structures holding the tooth in place are intact.
• Most of these structures are beneath the gums (gingiva) and
cannot be seen from the outside.
• The thin space between the tooth and the gum, called the
gingival sulcus, is free from infection.
2. Diseased (hidden)
• Bacteria (not shown because they are too small to be seen) infect
the gingival sulcus, which cannot be seen from the outside.
• The bacteria destroy the gums from the inside and turn what was
a thin gingival sulcus into a large periodontal pocket—still not
visible from the outside—where more and more bacteria build up.
• The bacterial build-up leaves a distinctive fingerprint—chemicals
called thiols.
3. Advanced Diseased (visible)
• The gums look inflamed (bright red and swollen) from the outside.
• The structures holding the tooth in place are destroyed, leading
to tooth loss.
• The built-up bacteria spread to other parts of the body, including
the heart, liver, and kidneys.
Spotting Signs of Periodontal disease
Detecting periodontal disease in the early stage is difficult because the disease begins in the hidden space between the gum and the tooth. Pet owners are not able to see early disease, and without the right tool, owners are not able to detect it in the awake animal, either. In the past, periodontal disease has typically been found only after the disease has progressed, when the dog or cat is placed under general anesthesia and an oral examination is performed and x-rays are taken.
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