Pete the Vet: Pets need healthy mouths

There’s one big difference between pets and humans when it comes to their teeth: animals don’t care what they look like but they need healthy gums

Active home care (tooth brushing) is still the most effective method for the front teeth

There’s one big difference between pets and humans when it comes to their teeth. It’s simple: animals don’t care what they look like. Our appearance is important to us: we want to have perfectly spaced, white, healthy-looking teeth, so that we can smile with confidence. We don’t want to see photographs of ourselves with empty gaps where teeth should be. We don’t want to have crooked, protruding, or discoloured teeth. Cosmetic dentistry has become a major industry.

Pets are completely different: all that matters to them is that they have comfortable, functional, healthy teeth and gums. And that should be the only focus of veterinary dentistry.