Dental disease is among the most common findings in adult dogs, and much of it is invisible during an ordinary look in the mouth. The location is the reason.
How plaque becomes a structural problem
Plaque is a film of bacteria that forms on tooth surfaces within hours of cleaning, and it is soft and easily disrupted at that stage.
Left in place it mineralises into calculus, which is hard, firmly attached and provides a rough surface that accumulates further plaque more quickly.
Calculus itself is not the damaging agent. Its significance is that it shelters the bacteria doing the damage and cannot be removed by brushing.
What happens in the gap around the tooth
Between the gum and the tooth is a narrow space, and plaque extending into it sits in an environment with little oxygen.
That environment favours different bacteria to those on the visible surface, and the immune response to them causes most of the tissue destruction.
The result is progressive loss of the ligament and bone anchoring the tooth, which is why teeth eventually loosen despite the crown appearing intact.
Why the visible surface misleads
The crown can look reasonable while the supporting structures beneath are substantially damaged, and severity is not readable from outside.
Assessment therefore involves probing the gap around each tooth and taking radiographs, which show bone loss and root disease that examination alone cannot detect.
Because both require the dog to be still and unstressed, a full assessment is performed under general anaesthesia rather than in a conscious animal.
Why dogs rarely show it
Dental pain in dogs develops gradually, and animals adapt by chewing on the other side or swallowing food with less chewing.
Continuing to eat is one of the most common reasons owners conclude nothing is wrong, and it is one of the least reliable indicators.
Bad breath, reluctance to chew hard items, dropping food and pawing at the face are more useful signs, and many owners report a change in energy only after treatment.
Where prevention actually works
Because plaque re-forms within a day, mechanical disruption has to be frequent to matter, and daily brushing is the measure with the clearest effect.
Chews and additives can contribute, though their effect is generally smaller and varies considerably between products.
Hard items carry their own risk, since bones, antlers and hooves are a frequent cause of fractured teeth. What is appropriate for a particular dog, and when a professional assessment is needed, is a veterinary judgement.