Dental problems are a common problem seen particularly in smaller dogs like poodles, chihuahuas and Maltese.
| Many factors contribute to dental disease including diet and genetic factors. The most important thing to remember is to have any problems dealt with early before complications occur. |  Retained
upper canine tooth requiring removal. |
| Complications from dental disease include heart and kidney disease (Bacteria localise in these organs after gaining access to the blood via inflamed gums). Loss of teeth is very common. | 
Extracted teeth. |
| Signs
of problems include bad breath, inflamed gums, not eating well.
It is important to realise that animals don't often express pain like we do. It is not uncommon for and animal to have a tooth root abscess or bad teeth and not show any obvious discomfort. Often, unknown to us they have been chewing more on one side or the other. However people often comment after the teeth have been done how much better the pet feels because it was adversely affecting them. |
Tooth root abscesses of the canines |
| Animals having their teeth treated are anaesthetised. If it is old it is suggest that some pre-anaesthetic blood work be done to detect any hidden problems. All teeth are cleaned, polished and fluorided. Loose or suspect teeth are removed. Antibiotics are dispensed if needed. Broken teeth can be filled with a composite if that is suitable. | 
Tooth before and after cleaning |
Click
on these thumbnails for more examples of dental disease