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The protocol of regular dental examinations should take approximately 10 minutes and consists of three parts: 3 minutes of history taking and the client completing a questionnaire, 3 minutes of dental/periodontal examination of the conscious patient, and 3 minutes of presentation of diagnosis to the client, instruction on home oral hygiene methods, and recommendation of professional treatment. Parameters are recorded and scored utilizing standardized charts, and should include:

 Age of the patient

 Type of diet fed (dry, mixed [dry and soft], or soft food; home‐made foods are classified as soft)

 Extent of home oral hygiene (active or passive):Regular home careIrregular home careA complete lack of home care

The basic oral clinical exam should include an assessment of the size of the mandibular lymph nodes on palpation, the presence and amount of dental deposits, and the presence and degree of periodontal disease.

The size of the mandibular lymph nodes is classified as:

 Normal

 Slightly enlarged

 Moderately to severely enlarged

The presence of dental deposits is determined visually on the most severely affected tooth and is recorded as:

 Absent

 Up to 50% of the crown affected

 More than 50% of the crown affected

The presence of periodontal disease features is also determined visually on the most severely affected tooth. Gingivitis is recorded when there is inflammation of gingival tissue, which is determined as abnormal redness, swelling, or bleeding of the gums. Periodontitis is recorded when a tooth has gingival recession or is mobile on digital palpation (Gawor et al. 2006).

Scores are presented in Table 5.1.

The summation of scores obtained for the preceding three parameters plus the patient's diet and their level of home care provides the oral health index (OHI), where 0 points indicates optimal oral health and 10 points indicates the worst possible oral health (Gawor et al. 2006). Patients scoring 0–2 receive prophylactic advice. For patients scoring 3–6, significant improvements to the home prophylactic program are required, and a professional dental cleaning may be recommended. Patients scoring 7–10 require immediate exam and treatment under general anesthesia.

This simplified method of oral assessment is useful for public campaigns such as the “Pet Smile” campaign and “National Pet Dental Health Month,” and for inclusion in leaflets and brochures offering free dental exams. It can be easily performed by first‐contact veterinarians, students, and nurses after brief training. Smartphone apps are being prepared to help pet owners know when they should make an appointment with a veterinarian or dental specialist. Apps focused on at‐home oral cavity assessment are also available (e.g. Dental Index, offered by Hill's Pet Nutrition) (Figure 5.1).

Table 5.1 Oral health parameters assessed during patient examination and interview.

Score parameter	0	1	2
Size of mandibular lymph nodes on palpation	Normal	Slightly enlarged	Moderately to severely enlarged
Presence of dental deposits (plaque, calculus, and stain)	Absent	Up to 50% of the dental crown affected	More than 50% of the dental crown affected
Presence of periodontal disease	Absent	Gingivitis	Periodontitis
Diet fed	Home‐prepared, soft diet	Mixed (soft/dry)	Dry
Home care	None	Irregular	Regular

Figure 5.1 Dental Index app.