The study carried out by Banfield Pet Hospitals 1 in a population of 2.5 million dogs and 500,000 cats found that the prevalence of dental disease has increased by 23% since 2006, and now affects 76% of dogs and 63% of cats.

Although dental disease is a common problem, veterinarians find it hard to raise awareness among pet owners of the importance of oral hygiene. This is because pet owners see the vet as their pet’s doctor, not its dentist

Owners generally ignore their pet’s oral hygiene because they are unaware of the need to guard against periodontal disease, and of the serious consequences of not doing so.

Research has shown that periodontal disease can affect the course and pathogenesis of numerous systemic disorders, particularly heart disease (75% of dogs with periodontal disease).