I know more about teeth and dental care then I ever imagined I would due to getting a degree in dental hygiene and doing dental cleanings when I worked in the vet clinic. If you were wondering, dog and cat teeth are easier to clean then people’s! Since February is Pet Dental Health Month, I’m going to spend the next few Wellness Wednesdays taking teeth, gingiva and other things dental related.
That’s pretty much what we think of when it comes to dental health, the teeth. But dental care is a lot more than just keeping your pet’s teeth pearly white. It has an effect on their overall health. Knowing a little more about about what makes up your pet’s oral cavity can help you make more informed choices on their care.
There are some differences between our teeth and our pets’- the number of teeth and their function. Dogs have 42 adult teeth, cats have 30 and ferrets have 34 while we get by with 32. Incisors, canines, premolars and molars make up both dentitions, but our teeth are made for grinding food, while the carnivore’s teeth are made for ripping and shredding explaining the difference in their shape.
While there are these differences, the anatomy is pretty much the same.
Each tooth is made up of a crown, the part above the gum and a root, the part below the gum. At the very center of the tooth is the pulp which is a cavity that contains the blood vessels and nerves. The pulp is then covered by dentin which makes up most of the tooth. The outer part of the root is covered by cementum which has a role in keeping the tooth in its spot. The outer part of the crown is covered by enamel which is the hardest substance in the body.
The tooth seats in a socket in the bone of either the mandible (lower jaw) or maxilla (upper jaw). The bone is covered in by gingiva or what we call the gums. In each socket is a system of fibers that connect to the cementum of the root to keep the tooth in place.
Why care about the anatomy? Because it all plays a part in the dental disease that is common in pets. Next week we’ll get into some of the diseases and how they affect your pets health.
Great article Dawn! I had no idea that ferrets had 34 teeth, I would of thought it was much less in their tiny mouths!
Jen@MyBrownNewfies recently posted..Wordless Wednesday Plus A Few Words. Come Fly With Me
It seems like they should have less. Guess they want to show those cats up!
Dawn Miklich recently posted..Pet Dental Health: The Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth
Love the title of this! And I find it interesting that humans teeth are harder to clean than animals.
Ann Paws recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Dogs Are Good Pillows
Aside from the fact that you don’t have to try and talk to them while you are working on them (or have to endure that uncomfortable silence), it’s easier to reach the molars in a dog or cat’s mouth. You are pretty much going on feel in a person’t mouth because it’s hard to see back there.
Dawn Miklich recently posted..Train Your Dog Month Challenge, only with a Rabbit
I’m really looking forward to this series Dawn, as you may remember Sampson is scheduled for a cleaning this year and I am slightly nervous about the sedation procedure and his age. I’d really like to begin cleaning their teeth to help prevent any health issues that can be associated with it.
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The good thing about dentals is that they don’t need to be under anesthesia at the same level they would be for surgery, they are kept much lighter. If their teeth are in pretty good shape, a cleaning doesn’t take long. It’s those pets that have the horrendous teeth and that need multiple extractions that are under longer. I’m sure Sampson will be fine!
This is a great article that every pet guardian should read. Well written and easy to understand. I look forward to more information from this site.