What is a cavity?
Caries are rather rare in dogs but can nevertheless develop on the dog's teeth.
This is an infectious disease of the tooth which first causes demineralization of the enamel and dentin and then damages the pulp of the tooth.
As in humans, cavities can cause dental pain in dogs and be complicated by the formation of a dental abscess.
Why are cavities rarer in dogs than in humans?
If cavities are much rarer in dogs than in humans, it's because:
- the shape and spacing of the dog's teeth retain much less food residue,
- the pH of dog saliva is more alkaline than that of humans, which helps neutralize acids produced by oral bacteria from fermentable sugars in dog food,
- the dog's diet is normally much less rich in sugars that are known to be responsible for the formation of cavities in humans.
What does a cavity look like in dogs?
In dogs, cavities can develop on any tooth, but molars seem to be the most affected teeth.
At the start of the development, caries appears as a soft, white and chalky lesion on the surface of the tooth. Most often, it goes completely unnoticed by the owner of the animal.
You can notice them at a more advanced stage when they appear as a highly pigmented, yellow-brown lesion.When they are close to the pulp, dogs then begin to experience dental pain which is likely to manifest as:
- a change in the dog's behavior (he then becomes abnormally aggressive or prostrate),
- complaining and moaning,
- excessive salivation,
- difficulty eating or even anorexia.
In case of cavities, the dog may also have bad breath.
How is a cavity diagnosed in dogs?
The diagnosis of a cavity is made visually and tactilely (using a probe that the veterinarian introduces into the animal's mouth) and by means of X-rays.
Dog caries: the treatment
Treatment will depend on the stage at which the cavity was diagnosed.
If the cavity was diagnosed early, the veterinarian can then repair the dental substance caused by the cavity.To do this, the dentist will most often fill the previously cleaned carious cavity with a dental material such as a composite resin.
If the pulp is already affected or the cavity is complicated by an abscess, the veterinarian can extract the decayed tooth.
In dogs, these treatments are performed under general anesthesia.
How to prevent cavities in dogs?
To prevent cavities in dogs, nothing better than regular brushing of the animal's teeth!