Dental plaque is a soft but sticky deposit of bacteria from saliva, food and fluid that coats the teeth and collects where the teeth and gums meet. These bacterial deposits can damage the tooth, lead to the formation of tartar, and cause periodontal disease. A study where Ascophyllum Nodosum is given to dogs, shows that plaque was slower to build compared to dogs that were not given Ascophyllum Nodosum during the study. 

 

By the end of the study dogs given Ascophyllum Nodosum had significantly lower plaque residue than that of the placebo group.

 

Dental tartar (or calculus) forms when minerals from saliva are deposited into dental plaque, making it a hard layer that strongly bonds to the tooth enamel. In the same study, the average calculus index increased significantly with time in both experimental groups; however, the increase in the placebo group was significantly greater compared with that in the Ascophyllum nodosum-treated group.

 

Dental disease, such as Gingival Bleeding can cause significant pain to your pet and, as it advances, your pet could experience tooth and gum infection, inflammation, and bone and tooth loss, all of which can affect your pet’s wellbeing. The study showed that whilst Gingival Bleeding did not increase significantly in either experimental group during the 30 days after the dental procedure; however, after 60 and 90 days it increased significantly in the placebo group (non Ascophyllum Nodosum group).