{"id":1863,"date":"2025-06-25T13:34:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T13:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/institutoveterinariomediterraneo.com\/?p=1863"},"modified":"2025-09-03T13:34:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:34:26","slug":"myths-and-misconceptions-in-veterinary-dentistry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/institutoveterinariomediterraneo.com\/en\/2025\/06\/25\/myths-and-misconceptions-in-veterinary-dentistry\/","title":{"rendered":"Myths and Misconceptions in Veterinary Dentistry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When we think about dental health in animals, the most common association is with bad breath or tartar. But the reality is that veterinary dentistry goes far beyond that. It is a <strong>specialized medical discipline<\/strong> that requires training, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments.<\/p>\n<p>We are used to hearing many comments that, while understandable, don\u2019t always reflect reality. That\u2019s why today we want to debunk some of the most frequent myths we hear and explain why early diagnosis is key to the health of our animals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MYTH 1: \u201cDental cleanings are only necessary when there\u2019s a lot of tartar\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is one of the most common mistakes. Believing that we should only act when there is a severe accumulation of tartar means waiting too long, which worsens the prognosis and may require more invasive treatments.<\/p>\n<p>In veterinary dentistry, as in any other medical specialty, <strong>everything starts with a diagnosis<\/strong>. We don\u2019t treat blindly. That\u2019s why we follow the <strong>COHAT protocol (Comprehensive Oral Health Assessment and Treatment)<\/strong>, a full evaluation that includes clinical examination and dental radiographs before starting treatment. Thanks to this assessment, we can detect diseases at early stages and act before the damage becomes greater.<\/p>\n<p>As in any medical specialty: first we diagnose, then we treat. We should never act blindly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MYTH 2: \u201cIf they eat, it means they\u2019re not in pain\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is an understandable but <strong>very dangerous<\/strong> belief.<\/p>\n<p>Many animals continue to eat despite being in pain. Oral pain can be <strong>chronic and silent<\/strong>, and it doesn\u2019t always show obvious symptoms. Some signs of oral pain include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Drooling<\/li>\n<li>Facial grimacing or pawing at the face<\/li>\n<li>Refusing food<\/li>\n<li>Bad breath<\/li>\n<li>Behavioral changes<\/li>\n<li>Leaving food behind or swallowing without chewing<\/li>\n<li>Less grooming (dirty or unkempt coat)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f Eating does not mean everything is fine. Animals often <strong>compensate for pain<\/strong> and continue their routines\u2026 until they can\u2019t anymore. <strong>Learning to recognize subtle signs is essential to detect oral problems in time.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>MYTH 3: \u201cA broken tooth is not a big deal\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, it is. Every dental fracture must be evaluated. There are two types:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Uncomplicated fracture<\/strong>: exposes the dentin, which already allows bacteria to enter.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Complicated fracture<\/strong>: exposes the pulp canal \u2192 causing acute pain and severe infection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Both carry risks, but complicated fractures are especially serious because the pulp canal contains the tooth\u2019s nerves and blood vessels. Once exposed, it can lead to <strong>acute pain, necrosis, abscesses, infections, or fistulas<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it is essential to evaluate every fracture with an examination and radiographs, and decide whether to perform a <strong>root canal<\/strong> or <strong>extraction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MYTH 4: \u201cAntibiotics should always be given before and after dental treatments\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a very widespread misconception. In healthy animals, it is not necessary to administer antibiotics before or after a dental cleaning or treatment.<\/p>\n<p>The bacteremia (bacteria entering the bloodstream) that may occur during these procedures is temporary, and the animal\u2019s immune system resolves it on its own.<\/p>\n<p>Unnecessary use of antibiotics contributes to <strong>bacterial resistanc<\/strong>e, which is an increasingly serious problem in medicine. Antibiotics should only be used in specific cases, such as animals with severe heart disease or immunosuppression.<\/p>\n<p>In all other cases, <strong>what really matters is proper diagnosis and local treatment<\/strong> \u2014 without overusing antimicrobials.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MYTH 5: \u201cTooth discoloration doesn\u2019t matter\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A tooth that changes color is not just a cosmetic issue \u2014 it can be a sign of serious disease.<\/p>\n<p>Some examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Areas without enamel (hypoplasia\/hypomineralization)<\/strong>: allow bacteria to enter \u2192 sensitivity or infection.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Discolored teeth (yellow, purple, reddish)<\/strong>: may indicate pulp necrosis after trauma. In these cases, treatment will be a root canal if possible, or extraction if not. <strong>But ignoring it is never an option<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These myths are just a few examples of how we sometimes underestimate the importance of oral health in our animals. Veterinary dentistry is not just about tartar or bad breath; it addresses diseases that can deeply affect their wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s remember: <strong>our animals cannot tell us they are in pain<\/strong>, but we can learn to recognize it and act in time.<\/p>\n<p>At IVeM, we encourage you to schedule <strong>regular oral check-ups<\/strong>, pay attention to small changes, and consult your veterinarian if you have any doubts. Prevention and early diagnosis make all the difference.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we think about dental health in animals, the most common association is with bad breath or tartar. But the reality is that veterinary dentistry goes far beyond that. It is a specialized medical discipline that requires training, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments. We are used to hearing many comments that, while understandable, don\u2019t always reflect [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dentistry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Myths and Misconceptions in Veterinary Dentistry - IVeM Valencia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/institutoveterinariomediterraneo.com\/en\/2025\/06\/25\/myths-and-misconceptions-in-veterinary-dentistry\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Myths and Misconceptions in Veterinary Dentistry - IVeM Valencia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When we think about dental health in animals, the most common association is with bad breath or tartar. But the reality is that veterinary dentistry goes far beyond that. It is a specialized medical discipline that requires training, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatments. 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