OraStripdx™, a periodontal diagnostic strip that estimates the levels of thiols dissolved in oral fluid, thereby indicating the level of periodontal disease in an awake patient, has been launched by Animalcare. The visual result shown on the strip can support vets and veterinary nurses in explaining to owners the often-invisible early signs of periodontal disease,
without the need to examine the animal under anaesthetic. It also gives them a platform from which to start a conversation about dental health and care.
Each OraStripdx™ comprises a dry porous pad, pre-treated with a mixture containing a thiol detection reagent, attached to a plastic backing. The easy-to-use strip is gently swiped along the maxillary gingival margins. The pad changes colour from off-white to various intensities of yellow, representing the concentration of thiols present. The result gives the veterinary team a snapshot of the pet’s dental health, indicating the probability of significant periodontal disease and alveolar bone loss.
The WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines note that the use of a test strip for measuring levels of dissolved thiols can be very useful during an oral examination and that the test strips have been shown to improve client compliance with dental recommendations.
OraStripdx™ is the latest addition to Animalcare’s growing dental range, which includes the Plaqtiv+® oral homecare range.
Dr Colin Capner, Senior Technical Vet at Animalcare, explained: “OraStripdx™ helps to prompt, and raise the profile of veterinary oral health conversations in practice, employing an easy to use, evidence based diagnostic test for periodontal disease that does not require a general anaesthetic. In demonstrating the presence of periodontal disease in dogs and cats to clients through a test strip colourimetric change, it bridges the gap between oral examination and the requirement for clinical veterinary intervention. Early detection of otherwise invisible periodontal disease will help to maintain good pet oral health and welfare, and facilitate awareness of the potential need for planned clinical treatments.”
