After graduating from college, many of us ventured off once more to go to dental school. We packed up our lives in a U-Haul, and if you were like me, your parents came along, too, offering a final goodbye hug and kiss. However, there was a certain kiss that I couldn’t bring with me to Florida: that of a four-legged friend.
Live, laugh, love. How many times have you heard that phrase? It encompasses the core components of “wellness,” but at times we find difficulty achieving it. In dental school, we can become so busy that we forget to eat. How can we balance life, work and happiness? One easy answer is pets or animals in general, especially the cute and furry ones.
It’s hot out there! And your pet is probably feeling it, too. To ensure your pets stay safe during the summer months, we sought the advice of Dr. Jeff Werber, a renowned veterinarian.
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.
