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Pet Forum / Miscellaneous / Animal Health / March 2005Greyhound with seriously receding gums on front teeth!
My seven year old female greyhound has seriously receding gums on her very front teeth both top and bottom. They are the teeth between the fangs in the very front (insiscors?). It involves the very front 2 top teeth and the bottom 3 front teeth. I have been brushing them with a sonicare, interdental brushes, manual brushes, I have used dog toothpaste, CHX, hydrogen peroxide and I just can't make it stop. She has never had tartar on these teeth so it is kind of a mystery why the gums are receding. Is there anything I can do to halt this and maybe reverse it. The teeth on the bottom are starting to get to get loose. No matter how much it brush them or how often, the teeth have a horrible odor. They rarely bleed when I brush them. Cold this be trench mouth? If so, what is the cause and treatment? >My seven year old female greyhound has seriously receding gums on her >very front teeth both top and bottom. They are the teeth between the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Hi, Elliot, I've worked with a local Greyhound rescue group for many years, so I can say I've seen a LOT of Greyhound periodontal disease. I'd suspect this is what you're dealing with, nothing more serious, although it's a major problem, I know. Periodontal disease is a constant battle and it sounds like you're working on all the right things to try to keep it in check. Unfortunately, you may have lost this small battle, but not the war. You mention there's no tartar, but tartar is actually not a big problem, it's just what we can see. The real problem is under the gumline, which is why "dental cleanings" without anesthesia are medically useless. There's no way to truly treat dental disease without cleaning and probing the subgingival tissue. I suspect your pup needs several of her incisors extracted and her teeth professionally cleaned. The good news is that once you take care of these teeth and start with a clean slate, your home care will make a world of difference in the long run. Many Greys have significant dental disease by the time they end up in a home at 2-3 years of age. You can't totally reverse all the damage that's been done in the past, you can only slow down the progress. It's a constant battle, and there will be extractions, but with diligent home care, your pup will be comfortable and at less risk for systemic infections originating from her infected gums. Best of luck, Sandy Christmus, DVM Have you ever seen receding gums on these front teeth? I was referred by my vet to a Dental veterinarian who wants to do a bone graft on these teeth. He says he needs to wait until they are more loose because the bone graft material needs something to attach too. Does this sound valid? This guy is supposed to be one of the best. He works on lions and tigers at various zoo's around the country and he lectures to vet students around the country. If he does the bone grafts, it is supposed to be very expensive so I want to be sure it is the way to go. >Have you ever seen receding gums on these front teeth? > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > I'm not quite sure what procedure you're referring to. I haven't heard of bone grafts around teeth, however it is common procedure to add a product to stimulate bone growth after extractions are done. Perhaps this is what he's talking about? If the veterinarian is a board-certified veterinary dentist, then I'd trust what he says. He's certainly more on the forefront of knowledge regarding these less common dental issues than I am. BTW, yes, I've seen gingivitis and periodontal disease of the gums surrounding the incisors. Sandy Christmus, DVM Apparently it is a cement type substance that grafts to the bone and achors the teeth. The Doctor is Dr. Pete Emily. As a vet you have probably heard of him. He has written several text books and he lectures. |
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