The Impact of Diet on Oral Health
My-Dog.info > Dogs, Diet & Food
Dental calculus is a common problem in most domestic cats and
dogs resulting from mineralization of dental plaque; plaque being
composed primarily of food particles and bacteria. Studies have
reported the existence of dental calculus in 86% of cats between
the ages of 1-4 years and all cats 5 years of age and older.
A number of options are available to the pet owner to control
and maintain the long term oral health of their pets. Oral
hygiene practiced on a regular basis is the most effective
approach. However, pets need to be conditioned to such procedures
from an early age and few owners are compliant on a long term
basis. As a result, most owners look to diet or chew treats as a
simpler, more convenient, albeit less effective, means of
achieving this goal.
Gingivitis, an inflammation of the gum, is reversible and
manageable through routine plaque control. If untreated or
uncontrolled, gingivitis may lead to periodontitis, an
inflammation of the supporting periodontal tissues. Periodontitis
may well be irreversible and requires vigorous therapy and plaque
control to avoid further progression.
Although often associated with gingivitis and periodontal
disease, dental calculus is not the primary causal factor. Both
gingivitis and periodontal disease are a result of bacterial
overgrowth in the gum tissue that surrounds each tooth. Because
dental calculus is so hard due to its mineral content, it usually
is not removed when a pet eats hard kibble. Although dental
plaque is the primary cause of gingivitis, there are other
contributing factors, such as calculus, age, genetics, breed,
immune status and diet.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that feeding a regular dry
diet alone, when compared to a canned diet, will reduce the rate
of plaque and subsequent calculus formation. However, what is not
thoroughly understood is whether this effect is due to the mild
abrasive action of the diet, or the greater likelihood of canned
food to become entrapped in the gum tissue, leading to greater
accumulation of plaque.
Studies have shown that feeding a dry diet coated with sodium
hexametaphosphate (a component of some pet toothpaste that acts
as the calcium sequestrant) reduced calculus formation by 50 -
80% in dogs. A similar preventive effect was also shown in cats.
Other studies showed the regular use of rawhide chew strips
resulted in a modest reduction of calculus formation, but when
these treats were coated with sodium hexametaphosphate, again the
results showed a significant calculus reduction.
It is not universally accepted, though, that removal of
calculus alone is adequate to prevent gingivitis. The removal of
bacteria-laden plaque prior to its calcification, however, does
minimize gingivitis.
Such research reinforces the opinion that the accumulation of
plaque and the impact on oral health can be impacted by the use
of certain diets and chew treats alone. Reduction of gingivitis
by such means in indeed encouraging, but the long term benefits
in the prevention of periodontal disease needs further research.
Within hours of a professional dental cleaning, plaque begins
to re-accumulate. Although the teeth may look cleaner, the
bacterial counts are not being controlled, even with no obvious
calculus present. To obtain long term oral health, oral bacteria
must be controlled by minimizing plaque build-up. This is best
achieved by veterinarians continuing to demonstrate brushing
techniques and encouraging their clients to practice oral home
care procedures on their pets from an early age.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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