Registered Veterinary Technologists (RVTs) play a vital role in dental assessment, cleaning, preventative care, helping protect pets from chronic discomfort, and long-term health complications.
This February, RVTs are sharing practical dental health tips to help pet owners better understand what is happening in their pet’s mouth and why routine dental care matters.
Why Dental Health Matters
Dental disease doesn’t stop at the mouth. Bacteria associated with dental infections can enter the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation that affects major organs such as the heart, kidneys, and liver. Over time, untreated dental disease can lead to chronic pain, tooth loss, and systemic illness.
Pets are very skilled at masking discomfort, especially oral pain. Changes may be subtle and easy to miss, which makes routine dental check-ups a crucial part of preventive veterinary care.
The RVT Role in Dental Care
RVTs are essential members of the veterinary dental team and are involved in most stages of dental care. Their responsibilities include dental assessments and charting, taking dental X rays, monitoring anesthesia, performing dental cleanings,, and educating clients on effective home dental care practices.
RVTs play a critical role in patient safety and comfort during dental procedures. They closely monitor vital signs under anesthesia, identify abnormalities, and communicate findings to the veterinarian to support timely clinical decisions.
Dental Tip 1: Chews Carefully
Chew toys and treats are often marketed as beneficial for dental health, but not all options are safe for teeth. Items that are extremely hard can place excessive force on tooth enamel, leading to cracks or full fractures. These injuries are painful and frequently require advanced dental treatment.
“If that chew toy or treat is something you would not want to hit against your kneecap, or if it is hard enough to hammer a nail into wood, do not give it to your dog. Teeth will break.”
-- Tammy Brooks, RVT, VTS (Dentistry)
Hard chews such as antlers, bones, yak cheese, and even rocks are a frequent cause of fractured teeth. These fractures may expose the pulp inside the tooth, allowing bacteria to enter and cause infection. RVTs commonly see pets with significant dental pain linked to chewing on these types of hard objects.
Choosing softer, veterinarian recommended dental chews and monitoring chewing habits can help reduce the risk of dental injury while still supporting oral health.
Dental Tip 2: Do Not Wait on Fractured Teeth
Fractured teeth are a common but serious dental injury in pets. While some fractures may appear minor on the surface, damage to the inner structures of the tooth can cause significant pain and infection.
"If a tooth is fractured and there is pulp exposure, it needs extraction or endodontic treatment as soon as possible.”
-- Kathy Istace, RVT
The pulp is the soft inner tissue at the center of the tooth. It contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue that keep the tooth alive. When the pulp is exposed, it is extremely painful and allows bacteria to enter the tooth and surrounding tissues. This can lead to infection, abscess formation, and ongoing discomfort.
Fractured teeth are often identified during routine veterinary exams or professional dental cleanings, and timely treatment is critical for relieving pain and preventing further complications.
Dental Tip 3: What You See Is Not the Whole Tooth
Dental disease is not always visible during routine exams. While the surface of the tooth and gumline provide important clues, significant disease can exist below the gums without obvious external signs. This hidden damage is one of the reasons dental diseases is often more advanced than expected once a full assessment is performed.
"There is so much more tooth below the gumline that we cannot see. That is why dental X rays are essential for a complete oral health assessment and treatment.”
-- Melina Cole, RVT
More than half of a pet’s tooth structure sits below the gumline. Dental radiographs allow the veterinary team to identify issues such as tooth root infections, bone loss, resorptive lesions, and fractures that are not visible during a visual exam alone. Without imaging, these painful conditions can remain undiagnosed.
Dental Tip 4: Eating Does Not Mean Pain Free
Dental pain is often difficult to recognize in pets. Many animals continue normal behaviors even when dental disease is advanced, making serious oral health issues easy to miss at home.
“Just because your animal is still eating and playing does not mean they are not in pain."
-- Chelsey Greig, RVT
Many pets continue eating, playing, and interacting normally despite advanced dental disease. These normal behaviours do not rule out oral pain. Subtle signs such as discoloured teeth, persistent bad breath, drooling, spilling or dropping food while eating, or small changes in chewing habits may be the only indicators that something is wrong.
Prevention Starts at Home
Preventing dental disease requires a combination of professional veterinary care and daily habits at home. Safe chew choices, consistent teeth brushing, and veterinary recommended dental products all play a vital role in protecting a pet’s teeth and gums between veterinary visits. When combined with professional dental care, these efforts can significantly reduce discomfort and the progression of dental disease.
Your Veterinary Team is Here to Help
If there are concerns about a pet’s teeth or gums, reaching out to a veterinary team is an important first step. These conversations often start with an RVT, who can help interpret what you are seeing at home, explain dental findings, and discuss what care may be needed next.
Dental health directly affects comfort, daily function, and overall wellbeing. Pain, infection, and inflammation in the mouth can quietly affect a pet’s quality of life long before obvious signs are noticed. With guidance from your veterinary team and consistent care at home, pet owners can take meaningful steps to reduce discomfort and support long term oral health.
This article was written by Madison Furness, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Alberta Veterinary Technologist Association.