Inhibitory effect for proliferation of oral bacteria in dogs by tooth brushing and application of toothpaste

Effectiveness of Dental Homecare Protocols in Unscaled Dogs

Many dental homecare products are marketed, several of which have been evaluated using a "clean tooth" protocol (the teeth are scaled at the start of the trial). The efficacy of dental products in dogs that have not had their teeth professionally cleaned ("dirty tooth model") has been studied far less often. Some dogs for which professional dental cleaning is indicated will not have their teeth cleaned because of anesthetic risk or for other reasons. In this study, 6 dental homecare products were evaluated against a negative control group; none of the dogs received professional dental cleaning at the start of the study. The home care protocols tested were: brushing every other day using a toothpaste, feeding a dental chew once daily (VF), adding a water additive in the water daily (AQ), brushing once a week + VF daily, brushing once a week + AQ daily, VF + AQ daily. Dental deposits (plaque and calculus) and periodontal health were assessed on awake dogs, before and after receiving the assigned homecare regimen for 8 weeks. Results were compared with an untreated control group. Dental deposits were reduced by regular mechanical action (brushing or VF daily). Periodontal health status was improved when AQ daily was combined with either brushing once a week or VF daily. Two scoring techniques useful for determining a recommendation from a veterinarian to commence home oral hygiene or recommend dental scaling as a necessary first step are described.

Diagnosis and Management of Furcation Lesions in Dogs - A Review

The furcation is the anatomic area where the roots divide on a multirooted tooth. Periodontal disease causing alveolar bone loss can lead to furcation lesions of various stages. Once furcation involvement has occurred, the area can be more difficult to clean or treat due to the complex anatomy and morphology of furcations. Teeth with short root trunks, longer tooth roots, and roots with wide furcation entrance areas/degrees of separation and wide root divergence are considered better candidates for long term maintenance. Dog teeth possess many of these advantageous anatomic features compared to human teeth. Treatment options for teeth with furcation lesions include: closed debridement, open debridement, furcation plasty, tunneling, partial tooth or root resection, root separation (hemisection or trisection), regenerative therapies, or exodontia. There are many factors to consider in determining treatment options. The favorable and unfavorable characteristics for maintenance of teeth with furcation lesions are summarized. Home care and ongoing professional care are important aspects of periodontal disease control for any patient. Studies of systemic and local antibiotic therapies in human patients have not demonstrated reduction of furcation stages, and probiotic effects at furcation sites have not been specifically examined. Human review studies show that most molar teeth once deemed "hopeless" due to stage 3 furcation lesions can be maintained for at least 5 to 15 years with supportive periodontal therapy. Similar long term studies in dogs are needed to improve the evidence-based management of canine patients with furcation lesions.

Effect of TrisEDTA and Chlorhexidine 0.12% on an In Vitro-Defined Biofilm Representing the Subgingival Plaque Biofilm of the Dog

This study was designed to investigate the effects of chlorhexidine 0.12%, TrisEDTA (tromethamine ethylenediamintetraacetic acid), and a combination of chlorhexidine 0.12% and TrisEDTA on an in vitro plaque biofilm model comprised of three bacterial species commonly found in canine subgingival plaque. Porphyromonas gulae, Actinomyces canis, and Neisseria canis were grown in a biofilm on polished hydroxyapatite coated titanium alloy pucks for 72 h prior to exposure to one of four test solutions: TrisEDTA, chlorhexidine 0.12%, a combination of TrisEDTA and chlorhexidine 0.12%, or sterile deionized water as a control. Following exposure to the test solution, a sample was collected of the biofilm either immediately or following 24 h of additional incubation in a broth medium. Lower numbers of CFU/mL of Porphyromonas gulae resulted when the biofilm was treated with a solution of chlorhexidine 0.12% and TrisEDTA compared to with chlorhexidine 0.12% alone, TrisEDTA alone, or the control and so this solution can be said to be synergistic against Porphyromonas gulae in this controlled in vitro model. Greater reductions in the numbers of CFU/mL of Actinomyces canis and Neisseria canis resulted from treatment with chlorhexidine 0.12% alone than if treated with the combination of TrisEDTA and chlorhexidine 0.12%. When treated biofilm samples were allowed 24 h of additional growth in fresh media, greater variance resulted and this variance highlights the complex dynamics involved in bacterial growth within a biofilm.

Prospective randomised blinded clinical trial assessing effectiveness of three dental plaque control methods in dogs

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of three commonly used methods of controlling dental plaque accumulation within a general practice setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A blinded study, block randomising dogs at recruitment to receive one of three treatments to start after a routine scale and polish procedure: once daily tooth brushing using a toothbrush and veterinary toothpaste, once daily administration of a single dental hygiene chew or a prescription dental diet. Blinded scoring of plaque accumulation, both coverage and thickness, was performed at the end of the 6-week study.

RESULTS

A total of 22 dogs completed the study, which simultaneously assessed the effectiveness of the three means of plaque control. Daily tooth brushing was shown to be more than three times as effective at controlling plaque accumulation compared to using a daily dental chew or dental diet. The dental plaque scores for the diet and dental chews were not significantly different from one another and there was much greater variability in the mouth scores for these two groups of dogs compared to the tooth brushing group.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The study design has been shown to be an effective means of assessing plaque accumulation over a 6-week period using a clean mouth model. Secondly, this study adds to the evidence which shows that daily tooth brushing is the most effective single method of reducing plaque accumulation and optimising dogs' oral health.