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Many of us with feline and canine friends are positive we’ve seen them smiling. After all, who hasn’t basked in the tooth-filled grin of their delighted dog or the pleased expression of their contented cat?

Animal behaviorists will tell us, though, that our pets actually use many different body cues to signal happiness—and eyes, ears, and tails are better clues as to how happy or unhappy our furry companions are.

But even though animals don’t smile exactly the way we do, they do share some of the same oral concerns as their humans. Since February is Pet Dental Health Month, let’s look at some dental tips to keep your cats and dogs their healthiest and happiest.

Be Aware of Your Pet’s Dental Health Risks

Did you know that tooth and gum health is essential to the well-being of your canine or feline BFF? While cats and dogs don’t suffer from cavities as much as we do, they can suffer oral pain, infection, and trauma without proper dental care.

• Gum Disease

Gum disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in pets. Oral bacteria, food particles, and saliva combine and form plaque deposits which stick to the teeth. Over time, unless it’s removed, this plaque accumulates and hardens into tartar.

When plaque and tartar harden above and below the gumline, pets can develop gum irritation, inflammation, gingivitis, and, eventually, a serious gum disease called periodontitis. Untreated periodontal disease leads to infection, bone and tissue damage, and tooth loss.

• Tooth Resorption

Tooth resorption is another common cause of tooth loss in both cats and dogs. The inside of the tooth structure begins to erode, weakening the tooth and leaving it vulnerable to infection.

The cause of this disease is unknown, but the results can be quite painful and progressive. Your vet can determine which treatments might be effective to save your pet’s tooth or to alleviate pain.

• Trauma

A broken or fractured tooth should be examined by a veterinarian. A root canal, pulp therapy, or extraction might be needed to treat severe pain and infection.

Schedule Regular Exams with Your Vet

Your veterinarian is your partner in keeping four-legged family members healthy. Your dog or cat should see the vet at least once a year for a general checkup. At this time, your vet will look carefully at your pet’s teeth and gums to find any potential oral injuries or diseases.

Regular checkups mean you’ll catch any dental problems before they become more serious. Veterinarians can provide tips on daily dental care, recommend the best diet, suggest hygiene products and toys which promote dental health, and clean and treat your pet’s teeth under anesthesia if needed.

Know When to Call Your Vet

Your pets’ teeth and gums are your best guide to their oral health. If you see any of these symptoms of gum disease or tooth resorption an appointment with the veterinarian is in order:

• unusually unpleasant breath
• brown or yellow stains on the teeth
• swollen or bleeding gums
• pawing at the mouth
• heavy drooling
• loss of appetite

And, of course, If your cat or dog injures a tooth, you should call your vet immediately.

Clean Your Pet’s Teeth

One way to make sure that your pet’s teeth are the healthiest they can be is with brushing and cleaning. This is a project best started when your pet is young and more easily trained.

There are toothbrushes, toothpastes, and dental wipes designed just for your dog and cat (don’t use human products—they can be abrasive and unsafe). Your vet is the best resource for learning how to get your pet used to a toothbrush or finger brush.

If, despite your best efforts, brushing just isn’t going to happen, talk to your vet about anti-plaque additives, rinses, and gels formulated just for your pet.

Watch Your Pet’s Diet

Like us, our cats and dogs benefit from a dental-healthy diet. Different pets have different needs when it comes to the mix of proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients required for strong teeth and bones. Some foods are formulated with anti-plaque ingredients. Kibbles and treats are available with coatings designed to help prevent plaque formation.

Your veterinarian can help you discover the best foods for your pet’s needs, whether commercial or prescription.

We all love healthy smiles. Protect your dog’s fetching grin or your cat’s purr-fect gums in East Lyme, CT by making their oral health a pet project all year long.

We’re not talking about caring for major appliances here—the refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines which make our lives easier. We’re talking about much smaller scale appliances which produce major results for our oral care—the dental appliances which give us healthier, more attractive smiles!

A dental appliance is simply any device which helps promote dental health. And while that definition is awfully broad, you still might be surprised at the many types of dental work which qualify! Today, we look at “fixed” appliances. These restorations or devices stay in the mouth, unlike removeable appliances like mouthguards and aligners. How do they work for us, and how do we provide the care they need to work effectively?

Fillings, Crowns, and Dental Implants

Dental restorations such as crowns and fillings, which protect the structure of your teeth, are considered appliances. So are dental implants. Implants use a post surgically implanted in the bone to act as the tooth’s “root.” When the post has fused with the bone, a crown is bonded to the implanted post for a tooth which functions—and looks—like your natural teeth.

• Cleaning—Clean your restorations and implants just like you would your natural teeth. This means brushing at least twice each day for two minutes and flossing once each day to protect both your dental work and your oral health.
• Diet—While restorations allow you to eat normally, it’s best to treat both your natural teeth and your restorations with care. Hard foods can crack or damage enamel, implants, and restorations. Chewy, sticky foods like caramels can dislodge restorations.

Fixed Orthodontic Appliances

If you or your child are in orthodontic treatment, you know that taking good care of orthodontic appliances will help treatment progress as quickly and comfortably as possible. Traditional braces and functional appliances like palatal expanders and the Herbst® and Forsus™ appliances are commonly used to help patients achieve their best smiles. Because these appliances stay in the mouth until treatment is complete, caring for them can present some day-to-day challenges.

• Cleaning—You might need to brush and floss after every meal and snack to prevent plaque buildup and to keep food particles from sticking to braces and/or functional appliances. Your orthodontist will provide instructions for daily cleaning routines.
• Helpful tools—Interproximal brushes, flosses designed for braces, and water flossers can make cleaning teeth and appliances easier and more effective. Talk to your dental team at Robson Dentistry to learn the best tools and techniques for your specific needs.
• Diet—Sticky, chewy, hard, and crunchy foods are not on the menu when you have a fixed appliance! Sticky and chewy foods like caramels can damage appliances and are difficult to clean from appliances and enamel. Hard foods require biting pressure which can damage appliances—and your teeth! Crunchy foods can leave hard little particles stuck in and under appliances. Your orthodontist has all the details on choosing foods which are good for your teeth and your orthodontics.
• Stick to your orthodontic routine—Keeping up with your appointments and adjustments keeps your treatment on track and allows your orthodontist to discover any problems with your appliances. If you have any concerns about an appliance, it’s always a good idea to call your orthodontist’s office immediately.

Bridges

Bridges complete smiles when a tooth or teeth are missing, enabling normal speaking, biting, and chewing. Bridges also help prevent the remaining teeth from shifting out of place.

To create a custom bridge, a prosthetic tooth or row of teeth are attached to crowns placed on adjacent natural teeth, or attached with wings bonded to adjacent natural teeth, or secured to carefully placed implant posts. The type of bridge your dentist recommends will depend on your preferences, the health of your surrounding teeth, and the number and location of the missing teeth.

• Cleaning— Because the artificial teeth in the bridge are often connected to each other and/or to surrounding teeth, typical flossing between teeth isn’t always possible. Special flosses, interproximal brushes or water picks can make sure the areas under the bridge and adjacent to your natural teeth are free of plaque and food particles. Dr. James Robson can recommend the best tools and techniques.
• Diet—A bridge-friendly diet is a lot like a healthy orthodontic diet. Avoid hard and chewy foods like nuts and caramels which can damage or loosen your bridge. Foods like corn on the cob, tough meats, hard breads, and apples require more biting force, which can loosen a bridge over time. Cutting foods into smaller pieces and choosing softer food options will help extend the life of your bridge. Your dental team in East Lyme, CT is a great source of information on the healthiest diet for you and your dental work.

Implant-Supported Dentures

Permanent, fixed dentures remain in the mouth, anchored by implant posts strategically placed in the jaw. Like individual implant posts, these are placed surgically and require time to heal. When the posts have fused with the bone, an individually crafted denture is secured to them.

• Cleaning—Once the dentures are secured to the posts, brush and floss as you would with your natural teeth. A water flosser is helpful for cleaning under and around the denture.
• For best maintenance, Dr. James Robson can remove your denture for professional cleaning as needed.
• Once you have become used to your dentures, you can eat normally (although it’s best to avoid small, crunchy particles which can get trapped under the denture).

So many appliances, helping us protect our dental health and comfort in so many ways! And there are a few additional steps we can take to make sure these appliances perform at their best:

• Watch out for destructive dental habits. Nail biting, chewing on pencils or other objects, using teeth as tools to open bags or bottle caps, crunching on ice—any behaviors which can damage teeth can also damage appliances.
• Keep up with regular dental exams. Dr. James Robson can assess the health of your teeth and gums as well as the condition of your appliances.
• Don’t ignore problems! Call your dental team at once if you notice any damage to your teeth or appliances.

Fixed appliances make our lives better. They improve oral health, allow us to eat and speak without difficulty, and create confident smiles. With conscientious care, your appliances will continue to work both comfortably and effectively.

When you smile, you share your happiness with the world. But if your smile isn’t bringing you all the happiness it should, it might be time to talk to Dr. James Robson about orthodontic treatment.

Orthodontic treatment provides both physical and psychological benefits:

• Straight Teeth

Perhaps you’re motivated to seek orthodontic treatment because you want straighter, more evenly spaced teeth. And straight teeth are more than simply an aesthetic preference--there’s a health bonus for your teeth and gums as well!

Crooked, overlapping teeth are more difficult to brush and floss effectively, creating hard-to-reach spaces which trap food particles and plaque. Proper tooth alignment and spacing help you keep your teeth and gums cleaner, reducing the risk of cavities and gum disease.

• Healthy Bite

“Occlusion” means the way your jaws and teeth fit together when you bite. A healthy occlusion lets you bite, chew, and speak easily and comfortably because your teeth, jaws, muscles, ligaments, and tendons are aligned in harmony. A malocclusion, or bad bite, occurs when the teeth and jaws don’t align properly, putting excess stress and pressure on the teeth, jaws, joints, and muscles.

The result? Malocclusions can cause difficulties eating and speaking, affect facial symmetry, and have long lasting consequences for your dental and overall health. An unbalanced bite can lead to worn and cracked teeth. Damaged teeth might require root canal treatment and crowns. You could experience jaw, neck, or facial pain, headaches, and sleep problems. Creating a well-aligned bite will help ensure a healthy dental future.

• Improved Self-Esteem

If you hesitate to share your smile because you are concerned about the appearance of your teeth or bite, orthodontic treatment can help you greet the world with confidence.

If your happy smile isn’t bringing you maximum happiness, it’s time to consider orthodontic treatment. Talk to the team at Robson Dentistry in East Lyme, CT to learn about all the benefits orthodontic treatment can offer you!

Orthodontic treatment traditionally begins somewhere between the ages of 10 and 14—but there’s no need to stand on tradition where your family’s dental health is concerned! An orthodontic evaluation will let you know each family member’s best options for healthier, more confident smiles even before the tween years and even after reaching adulthood.

First Visit—By Age 7

The team at Robson Dentistry recommends that you schedule a first orthodontic evaluation for your child by age seven (or earlier if any bite problems or jaw asymmetry are apparent). By this age, most children have a mix of both adult and baby teeth, and orthodontists can determine whether the position and development of the teeth and jaws are on track.

During this visit, your orthodontist will also carefully assess how your child’s teeth and jaws fit together when biting down. Healthy occlusion, or bite, means that the teeth and jaws are aligned and work together comfortably. A malocclusion, or bad bite, means that there is a problem with this alignment.

Your orthodontist might discover:

• No issues for concern.
• A possibility for future orthodontic problems. In this case, follow-up appointments might be scheduled to determine whether and when treatment should occur.
• Orthodontic problems which are already evident, with a recommendation for early intervention.

Early Orthodontic Intervention—Ages 6-9

Some children can benefit from “interceptive orthodontics,” first stage orthodontic treatment begun around the ages of six to nine.

Early intervention can help prevent crowded teeth, protect protruding teeth, and correct jaw alignment problems.

• If a child has a small upper dental arch, palatal expanders can gently enlarge the arch to make room for the adult teeth to arrive without crowding.
• When a baby tooth is lost too soon, space maintainers save room for the adult tooth beneath it to erupt in just the right spot.
• Protruding front teeth have a higher risk of injury from falls or collisions, and treatment will help protect them.
• Treatment for malocclusions like overbites, underbites, and open bites helps create a more comfortable, symmetrical, and healthy bite while young bones are growing, and may prevent the necessity for more complicated treatment in the teen years.

Tween and Teen Years—Ages 10-14

It’s common to treat malocclusions during the tween/teen years. During this stage of development, it’s easier for teeth to move to their ideal positions, because most of the adult teeth have arrived and the jawbones haven’t completed their growth.

Today’s orthodontics offers teens a number of treatment options:

• Braces are smaller and more comfortable, and brackets come in a variety of colors and materials to blend in or stand out.
• Clear aligners are almost invisible, and can treat many types of mild to moderate malocclusions.
• Functional appliances like the Herbst® appliance, the Forsus™ device, the twin-block appliance, and headgear work with braces or aligners to help correct more complex malocclusions.

And there’s more—modern orthodontic options are more effective, taking less time to create a beautiful, healthy smile.

Older Patients of Any Age

As you’ve grown older, you may have noticed that your once-straight teeth are becoming a bit crowded. You may be suffering dental pain and injured teeth because of a long-term bite problem. You may have always wanted a more attractive, comfortable smile, but weren’t able to access treatment when you were younger.

Good news! As long as your teeth and gums are healthy, orthodontic treatment can be a great way to keep them healthy. And today’s orthodontics offer a much wider and less noticeable variety of treatment options than the larger metal braces you might remember from decades ago. Depending on your needs, your orthodontist could recommend:

• Traditional braces—brackets are smaller than ever and come in a choice of several materials and colors, including ceramic, tooth-colored, and clear brackets.
• Clear aligners—an almost invisible way to straighten teeth, and removeable when necessary (as long as they’re worn 20-22 hours each day).
• Lingual braces—the least visible treatment, because brackets and wires are attached behind the teeth.

Crowded teeth and malocclusions often lead to lifelong problems, including worn or cracked enamel, headaches, jaw problems, increased risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease, and decreased self-confidence. Whether you’re graduating high school or getting ready for your golden reunion, it’s not too late for an orthodontic assessment. Talk to Dr. James Robson to discover whether your smile could benefit from treatment.

If you’re concerned about your own or your child’s orthodontic health, problems with alignment and bite are best treated as early as possible to prevent dental damage, improve self-confidence, and avoid more complicated treatment in the future. So, when’s the best time to schedule an orthodontic assessment in East Lyme, CT? There’s no better time than today!