Abstract

Background:
Periodontal disease is a common inflammatory disease affecting the periodontium of dogs with serious consequences.

Aim:
A field study of a random sample of dogs of different breeds to determine the relationship between lack of routine dental care and the development of periodontal disease.

Methods:
This study was conducted on 37 dogs of different breeds, sexes, and ages, presenting with other health complaints irrespective of dental disorders. These dogs were subjected to the assessment of their periodontium health in terms of their pocket depths (gingivitis, plaque, and calculus indices) and alveolar bone loss.

Results:
The demonstrated teeth lesions ranged from (gingivitis 30 cases-81%, Plaque 27 cases-72.97%, alveolar bone loss to destructive periodontitis-furcation involvement 3 cases-8.1%). The maxillary molars and the mandibular premolars were markedly affected. Treatment was by supra/sub-gingival scaling combined with maintenance of daily oral hygiene.

Conclusion:
Various degrees of periodontal disease were demonstrated in the dog sample, which underscores the importance of routine and continuous attention, or oral hygiene in dogs.

Key words: Dental hygiene; Diagnosis; Periodontal disease; Treatment.