Facts about Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease

Periodontal disease is a disease of the tissues that support the teeth in the mouth (the gums). It occurs when the body's immune system cannot clear the mouth of the bacteria and toxins, which are constantly forming on the teeth in the form of plaque.

If plaque is not removed, it will eventually accumulate and harden into dental calculus (or tartar). Calculus can become hard and yellow brownish covering over the crown of the tooth. Calculus can also cover the gum so that the plaque beneath the gum-line cannot be cleaned. The plaque beneath the gum-line is the real cause of periodontal disease.

As the plaque accumulates and the bacteria multiply, the pockets around each tooth become deeper and more painful for you pet. An early sign of this stage is a swelling and reddening at the gum-line of each tooth. If you touch this area, your pet may shy away and the gum may bleed. This is gingivitis. Gingivitis is a reversible inflammation of the gums. If teeth and gums are cleaned now, the mouth can be "as good as new." However, if the pockets around the teeth are deep enough to infect the bone supporting the teeth and cause the gums to infect the bone supporting the teeth, irreversible changes have occurred in the mouth. This is periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can only be arrested. The damage it has caused cannot be completely reversed.

Eventually the pockets become deeper, the bone is eroded and lost, and the bacteria and toxins get into the bloodstream and cause widespread systemic disease. Some veterinarians feel that most disease in older animals is directly related to the constant low-grade infection periodontal disease subject to pets. A pet with periodontal disease is circulating bacteria and toxins throughout its body, which can result in liver, kidney, and heart disease.