My pet’s teeth are graded?

Yes, the veterinarian determines the amount of disease that is present during the time of your preventative care exam by preforming an oral assessment. They then grade the teeth on a score of 1 to 4 and will document the grade based on the below criteria. The higher the grade the more periodontal disease is present and the more treatment that may need to be done during the dental surgery.

    Grades of Dental Disease  

• Grade 1

Very little dental calculus and gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums, just above or below the teeth.

• Grade 2

Moderate amount of dental calculus and gingivitis. You may start to notice a bad odor from your pet’s mouth.

• Grade 3

Heavy dental calculus and gingivitis. It is very likely that one to several teeth will need to be extraction due to the severity of periodontal disease. Bad breath is present.

• Grade 4

Severe dental calculus and gingivitis. There are multiple teeth that need to be extracted due to severe periodontal disease. There is also likely gum recession on the teeth from the disease that is present. Bad breath is obvious, and your pet may or may not have difficulty eating. Most of the teeth shown were extracted. Other Signs Dental or oral disease could include drooling, bleeding gums or refusing to eat.   Vocabulary Calculus:  Also known as tartar or plaque, is a form of hardened dental plaque. It is caused by the continual accumulation of minerals from saliva on plaque on the teeth. Periodontal Disease:  Is a disease which affects one or more of the periodontal tissues . While many different diseases affect these tooth-supporting structures, by far the most common of these are plaque-induced inflammatory conditions, which are considered as gingivitis and periodontitis.   Sources were taken from RalstonVet.com and Wikipedia.com.