Just like us, dogs and cats need dental care too.  The older they get the more prone they are to dental disease however, there are many ways that you as an owner can help to slow down the onset of this.  After all prevention is always easier (and cheaper) than treatment.  Regular dental checks, regular brushing from an early age and a good diet are a few easy ways you can do this.  When you think of dental disease or bad teeth you may think that this only causes bad breath and a bit of plaque but there are more serious implications too.  Bad teeth can cause severe pain for your pet causing them to stop eating and lose weight.  As well as the smell and the pain that they can suffer, the plaque build up forms tartar and bacteria on the teeth.  The longer the problem is left untreated the more chance the bacteria has to work its way down from the mouth and into vital organs such as kidneys, causing irreparable damage and/or failure.