Has anyone ever told you that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s? Unfortunately there is no real way to compare the two; it’s much like comparing apples to oranges. Dogs and humans have species-specific bacteria in their mouths. For example, caries disease caused by S. mutans, prevalent in almost 90% of school children, only plagues 5% of our canine companions. S. mutans, which feed on sugar, are much more likely to reside in our mouths than a dog’s due to our high sugar diet and acidic oral environment. On the other hand, P. gingivalis, the culprit to human periodontal disease, has a sibling strain found in dogs called P. gulae. Periodontal disease can be found in more than 60% of domesticated dogs, and that percentage can be as high as 90% in senior small breeds. Dental abscesses and periodontal disease can be life threatening to dogs. It is important that we take care of their oral health starting at a young age! Here are some tips to get started.
