M. Christine Zink, DVM, Ph.D.
“My, what big teeth you have!” When Red Riding Hood walked into her grandmother’s bedroom, the last thing she noticed were the Big Bad Wolf’s teeth, right before he ate her up.
This prominent feature of domestic canines has long been admired. Dogs with bared teeth guard the entrance to the underworld in numerous forms of mythology. Dogs’ teeth were once used as currency in the Solomon Islands, and even today, children in Hawaii wear them to protect against evil and sickness.
However, dogs’ teeth are not just the stuff of fairy tales. They are a critical part of canine health and longevity, and new advances in canine dentistry allow dogs to receive the same expert dental care available to humans.
We have all been kissing-close to a dog, only to be blasted by breath so bad it just about curls your hair. In fact, calling someone “dog breath” is a pretty nasty insult. However, a healthy canine mouth doesn’t have a foul odor, and healthy teeth and gums are not just matters of oral aesthetics; they affect the health of every tissue in the body.
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