The bacteria in plaque irritate the gums, causing them to swell. This swelling is called gingivitis. Each day the gums grow more inflamed, producing other damaging bacteria, causing the gums to recede. Over time the tooth becomes loose, followed by tooth loss.
Aside from being very painful, and the possible loss of teeth, periodontal disease can become a reservoir of infection and bacteria to the blood, and from the bloodstream, to the vital organs, such as heart, kidneys, lungs, and liver. Common symptoms of periodontal disease are consistently bad breath, yellow to brown masks on the teeth, reddened gums and exposed tooth roots, reluctance to eat, drooling, difficulty in chewing, and mouth pain, usually shown by pawing at the mouth, or rubbing his face against the ground.
All dogs are at risk, especially in dogs with small mouths, short muzzles and flat faces, as well as senior dogs. Tooth brushing on a regular basis can minimize plaque buildup, and regular visits to the vet can identify any hidden damage to the teeth and gums before it gets out of hand.
Treatment can range from tooth brushing, descaling, usually carried out by the vet with the patient under a general anesthetic, to advanced dental-surgery techniques. Early detection is the best treatment of all. Controlling your dog's diet can have a big impact on his teeth. Dogs who are fed mostly soft foods suffer more periodontal disease than those who must chew.
Help your dog maintain his good health by frequent visits to the vet, regular tooth brushing, maintaining a healthy diet, and occasionally giving him a chew toy or bone. The benefits will last a lifetime.
Myasthenia Gravis is a muscle-related condition that can gravely affect a person's ability to maintain his oral hygiene. This is due to the fact that the patient normally has weakened muscles on the face, making it extremely hard for them to make the necessary movements needed when brushing one's own teeth.
What is Myasthenia Gravis is a type of autoimmune disorder, a neuromuscular disease that usually results to muscle weakness and fatigue primarily in the face. This makes the muscles get tired and weakened more easily than what is normal. Muscle control is improved after a considerable rest which is partly one of the reasons why there are people with Myasthenia Gravis which are not diagnosed because they tend to disregard the symptoms as just simple conditions of fatigue.
This is often manifested whenever a person suffering from this disorder tries to eat. Within a few minutes of chewing and swallowing, his muscles weaken and get tired, making it hard or even impossible to finish his meal. Often, a few minutes of rest will restore the muscles and the person can continue finishing his meal.
This is also the case wherein a Myasthenia Gravis patient loses facial muscle control while brushing or flossing his teeth. This makes it harder for him to continue brushing, and as such may just decide not to continue with it. This can result to a very poor dental hygiene habit and later on will pave the way for further worse dental conditions such as tooth decay, gingivitis and halitosis.
If a patient is chronically having difficulties brushing, an electric toothbrush may help alleviate this condition. It will require less muscle control from the patient while still providing the appropriate brushing strokes to maintain good dental hygiene.
Another facial muscle that can greatly suffer from this condition are the muscles that control the movements of the tongue. When these muscles get easily tired or fatigued, it makes it difficult for the patient to swallow and thus finish eating. There can also be grave difficulty in talking due to lessened control of the tongue.
Myasthenia Gravis patients may also have a hard time keeping their dentures in place due to the weakened state of their facial muscles especially on the mouth. It may also be caused by poor fitting of the dentures due to the weakened muscles.
As with any neuro-related disorders, a person suffering from this condition may even require the assistance of a caregiver to help him manage his overall dental hygiene. This may be necessary for those whose condition has started to worsen with more frequent occurrence of facial muscle fatigue. A family member may also conduct the teeth brushing and other necessary dental hygiene procedures but a caregiver is more suited for the task because he or she is professionally trained to assist with such disorders.
While Myasthenia Gravis is a grave disorder which might even result to paralysis, it is still possible for the patient to enjoy a better quality of life with the help of medicines, proper equipment and more importantly, with the assistance of dedicated people.
Both Randy Jones & Robert Melkonyan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Randy Jones has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets, Dogs and Pets. Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com. On the site, customers can shop for the latest