17/09/2026
𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆.
The 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗪𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗔 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 provide comprehensive recommendations for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of dental disease in dogs and cats.
Here are some of the key highlights:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗔 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗮-𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. A complete and professionally thorough dental examination cannot be performed in a fully conscious patient, and procedures such as professional cleaning require general anaesthesia with a secured airway.
𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Full-mouth radiographs can reveal substantially more pathology than an oral examination alone—one cited study found about 𝟰𝟬% 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆. Radiographs are mandatory for teeth with clinical evidence of disease.
𝗧𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. Daily homecare is recommended, while passive methods such as dental diets and treats may provide additional benefits.
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. The guidelines state that standard dry dog and cat food provides only minimal oral-health benefits and does not appear to significantly decrease the risk of periodontitis. Specially formulated dental diets may provide greater benefit.
𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 and can have major welfare implications when left undiagnosed or untreated. It can cause chronic pain, persistent infection, stress, and severe local or systemic disease.
𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. A conscious examination is useful for an initial assessment, but it has limitations. A complete examination is only possible under general anaesthesia.
𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀. Dogs and cats may not show obvious signs of pain, and a normal appetite does 𝗻𝗼𝘁 rule out significant oral disease. Changes in eating habits are only one of many possible signs.
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆. Plaque can accumulate again within 𝟮𝟰 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, which is why ongoing homecare is so important.
𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝘀. It should include a thorough oral examination, periodontal probing and charting, appropriate dental imaging, cleaning, and treatment of identified pathology.
𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. Dental disease itself can be an important source of chronic pain, while procedures such as extractions and advanced periodontal therapy can cause moderate to severe pain. Appropriate anaesthesia, analgesia, and local anaesthetic blocks are therefore important.
𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Professional treatment addresses existing disease, but without continued homecare, the benefits of periodontal therapy are severely limited.
𝗗𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗵. Periodontal disease can have significant local consequences and has also been associated with systemic inflammatory effects, making prevention, early detection, and treatment important components of overall patient welfare.
The big takeaway? 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗿. It involves prevention, thorough assessment, accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment, pain management, and continued homecare.
Paper linked in the comments.
