The Dental group of the Polish Small Animal Veterinary Association started to arrange the Pet Smile campaign in October 2002. Team consisted of Vets prepared materials for owners, instructions for the vets, posters, questionnaires and finally signed the agreement between PSAVA and IAMS. The team, with great logistic help from the sponsor, managed to recruit 730 practices in Poland to provide free dental check-ups. There were two editions of Pet Smile Campaign: in 2003 and 2004.

Materials and methods: Oral Check-ups were documented in the standardized questionnaires provided by Dental Working Group of PSAVA. Each animal was recorded in separate chart in which were included the following information: breed, age, sex of the patient and address of the owner. Apart from this, 5 other parameters appeared in the chart, and every of them was followed by collecting 0-1-2 points: 1. Nutrition ( home-made and soft food, dry food, mixed ) 2. Oral Prophylaxis (daily teeth brushing; other; none) 3. Lymph nodes status (normal, active, enlarged) 4. Dental deposits (clear, up to 50%, more than 50%) 5. Periodontal status. (health, gingivitis, periodontitis) In 2 years time over 38 776 valid charts were collected from 730 surgeries involved in PS Campaign.

Results: In 38776 evaluated animals 76,6% were the dogs (29702) and 23,4% cats (9074). The results are presented in tables 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2 and 3.1, 3.2. Numerous other relations between different measured parameters in dogs and cats were found and will be mentioned and presented in further studies.

Table 1.1 Relation Oral hygiene/Oral health in cats

Table 1.2 Relation Oral hygiene/Oral health in dogs

Table 2.1 Relation Nutrition/Oral health in cats

Table 2.2 Relation Nutrition/Oral health in dogs

Oral health index (value created of the points collected in questionnaire) is strongly related with age of animal. Health oral cavity had 0 points, 6 points-very sick one. [Kruskal Wallis test, Table 3.1, 3.2]

Table 3.1 Relation Age/Oral health index in cats

Table 3.2 Relation Age/Oral health index in cats

Conclusions

1.  The level of oral prophylaxis in pets should be improved in Poland.

2.  Daily teeth brushing is the best solution for periodontal problems.

3.  Oral Health index is strongly related with age of animal

4.  The number of pets fed with dry food is not high in Poland, however this profile of nutrition has significant positive influence at status of Oral health.