Dental Hygene Caring for your Pet's teeth and gums is as important as caring for your own. Advanced Periodontal disease is the foremost cause of premature tooth loss in pets today. The following information can help you identify both the signs of a healthy mouth and the symptoms of moderate and advance periodontal disease.  However, nothing takes the place of regular check-ups and cleanings by your vet. Healthy mouths will almost always exhibit the following characteristics: White teeth Breath which has an acceptable odor Properly colored gum tissue (coral pink) Firm gum tissue which evenly and tightly encircles the tooth Helping your pet maintain optimum oral health aids in tooth retention, ensures the ability to continue good nutrition throughout life, and contributes greatly to overall health and well-being. Moderate gingivitis and early periodontitis: Inflamation of the gums or gingivitis (the first stage of periodontal disease) begins when a sufficient amount of plaque and calculus are allowed to develop. A mouth in this stage of disease will usually show the following symptons: Yellowing of the teeth Bad Breath Reddening of the coral pink gum tissue Slight softening and loosening of the gum tissue encircling the tooth If the gingivitis goes untreated over a period of time, the pet may begin to suffer from a painful inflammation of the gums that leads to a profound and irreversible seperation of the gum tissue from the tooth. This separation is a visual indication of the shrinking bone mass and loss of ligament support of the tooth. Advanced Periodontal disease is the foremost cause of premature tooth loss in pets today. This stage of the disease involves a combination of the following:   Soreness of gums (often evidenced in the pet's inability to eat) Yellowed teeth (sometimes loose teeth in advnaced stages of periodontitis) Extremely bad breath Red, swollen gum tissue with areas of ulceration Softening of gum tissue and separation of the tissue                                          from the neck of the tooth, loss of bone support                                          and probably loss of teeth. Happily, proper treatment may arrest gingivitis before the pet ever experinces advanced periodonitis or separation of gum tissue from the tooth. What you can do . . . Regular visits to the veterinarian provide you with the best guarantee that your pet's oral health is sound.  However, you can supplement these visits with at home care. Regularly check your pet's mouth for bad breath and discolored, inflamed gums. Also, a proper diet that generally avoids sweet or soft, sticky foods and daily use of an oral cleaning agent is recommended.  There are basically two kinds of at home cleaning methods to choose from. The first is similar to your own use of a brush with toothpaste.  If you start brushing your dog's teeth at an early age they will usually become accustomed to the proceedure and do little to interfer. However, if your dog simply won't let you brush his teeth, there are also oral cleaning compound gels that usually work with or without brushing. Whatever method works for you, remember your dog is depending on you to keep their smile a bright one.