Preventive Care: Dentistry

An estimated 68% of cats and 76% of dogs have periodontal disease. The signs of periodontal disease include edema and inflammation of the gums, plaque and calculus deposition, halitosis, gingival bleeding and attachment loss when probed, ulceration, gum recession, bone loss, mobile teeth, and tooth loss.

There are four stages of periodontal disease. While you might be able to make a rough estimate of staging during the awake examination, defining a patient’s periodontal disease requires an anesthetized examination and oral radiographs. Click the image to open and download a PDF with information on the periodontal disease stages.