Optimum Perfect Pet Pearly Whites


Optimum Perfect Pet Pearly Whites
August is Dental Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness about teeth and overall dental health. Dental care and hygiene is not only important for humans, but also our four-legged friends, whose teeth are sometimes forgotten and neglected by their owners.

The newly reformulated, OPTIMUM™ pet food brand, is utilising Dental Awareness month to assist in raising awareness of dog and cat dental health among pet owners.

Plaque build up, gingivitis, & dental disease can occur among animals. The OPTIMUM™ range with Macro-Nutrient Profile (MNP™) not only provides an important dental defence system, it has also been developed to deliver a specific nutritional balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates to suit each dog and cat's life stage or lifestyle.

OPTIMUM™ Brand Manager, Natalie McWilliam, says that dogs' and cats' teeth are similar in structure to humans' teeth; comprising canines, molars, premolars and incisors, yet differ in shape and number.

"Just as humans need to manage their oral health, so do pets. The reformulated dry product includes a specifically designed dental system that has been proven to help reduce plaque build up and help protect teeth and gums," McWilliam said.

The sodium tri-polyphosphate ingredient in the OPTIMUM™ range with MNP™ binds the calcium, which is present in saliva and prevents it from forming plaque on the tooth surface. The calcium is then carried to the stomach where it is absorbed by the body to strengthen teeth and bones, as well as contribute to the other functions where calcium is vital in the body.

Whilst delivering a product pets will love, the OPTIMUM™ range with MNP™ is specifically matched to the unique nutritional needs of both cats and dogs, providing healthy energy levels and maintaining superior health.

Interesting OPTIMUM™ facts about cats' and dogs' teeth and oral functioning

  • Dogs have 42 teeth - humans have 32 teeth
  • Cats have two sets of teeth during their lifetime, a deciduous set (molars are absent) and a permanent set
  • Kittens have 26 deciduous teeth. When the deciduous teeth fall out, they are replaced by 30 permanent teeth. The permanent teeth are normally in place by six months of age
  • Dogs have a higher saliva pH of 8.5 compared to human's pH, which is around 6.5. This is one of the reasons why dogs rarely suffer from cavities (caries)
  • Dog's tooth enamel is approx. 0.5 mm thick - that of humans is up to 2.5 mm thick
  • Cats' teeth are well suited to tear and cut. They consist of 12 tiny teeth in the front of the mouth (incisors), six in the upper jaw and six in the lower jaw, which do some scraping. They are flanked by two upper and two lower canines, sometimes called "fangs", designed to hold prey and rip flesh. Ten sharp premolars and four molars work together to cut food
  • Dogs have a vomeronasal (or Jacobson's) organ, humans don't. This pair of fluid-filled sacs in the roof of the mouth connects to the oral cavity through fine ducts that provides a further chemical sense. The chemical stimuli is thought to be transferred to the organ by a pumping mechanism; the fluid in the sacs is expelled into the canal, possibly as far as the roof of the mouth, and then is drawn back into the organ carrying the chemical signals. The vomeronasal organ appears to respond to large relatively non-volatile insoluble compounds, possibly pheromones, used to assess sexual receptiveness, but there is currently no evidence of any involvement food selection.

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