Читать книгу The Veterinary Dental Patient: A Multidisciplinary Approach - Группа авторов - Страница 88

Passive home care is a popular alternative means of decreasing periodontal disease. It consists of the use of specially formulated diets, chews, and treats, as well as water additives. There are numerous products available, but only a few have any scientific evidence that they produce a health benefit. Therefore, it is recommended that veterinary professionals review the literature to determine for themselves whether or not to recommend a particular product (Roudebush et al. 2005). It is always best to evaluate the research behind product claims, and not simply read the marketing hype.

Figure 5.9 Application of the waxy barrier sealant.

An invaluable resource for the busy practitioner is the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC), a group of veterinary dentists who evaluate product claims and give a seal of approval to worthy products. A list of such products can be found on the group's website: www.vohc.org.

However, most studies, along with the VOHC, only give an overall plaque and calculus reduction score and do not tell us where the plaque was reduced. Therefore, results may not correlate with decreased periodontal disease. Look for softer‐texture products that maintain contact with the tooth all the way to the gingival margin.

Since passive home care requires no real effort by the owner, compliance and regular application are far more likely than with active care. This is very important, as long‐term consistency is the key factor in effective home dental care (Ingham and Gorrel 2001). It has been shown that the compliance rate for tooth brushing among highly motivated pet owners is only around 50% after six months (Miller and Harvey 1994). In fact, one study showed that passive home care may therefore be superior to active home care, simply due to the fact that it is actually performed (Vrieling et al. 2005). This does not mean that it is more effective, just that the average client is not compliant with active care.

This section provides recommendations for several products based on a review of the current literature combined with the authors professional experience. This list is not comprehensive, and new information and new products are continually available. The particular position on the list of homecare means, have products branded by HealthyMouth LLC which are classified in several groups like: water additives, toothpastes, edible treats, sprays and gels.