
Dental Disease is a potentially deadly problem.
Peridontal or gum disease is the number one
diagnosed
problem in dogs and cats. By the age
of just two, a majority of dogs and cats have some
form of gum
disease. In addition, a small percentage
of those will have a broken tooth with nerve or root
exposure. This is extremety painful until the nerve
dies, at
which time a dangerous infection will most
likely set in. Infections affecting the gums and root
canals create systemic bacteremia or bacteria in the
blood stream,
which can then infect
other parts of
the body. Peridontal inflammation and infection have been linked to numerous
problems
including heart attacks, strokes, kidney
disease,
emphysema, liver disease, osteoporosis,
pregnancy problems and diabetes.
Therefore, oral infectious dieases are
given the
distinction as being "the silent killer". |