Sounds like your dog needs the tooth pulled and if you need to do that, a full dental is a good idea. Then you need to start home care -- brushing your dog's teeth. It depends on the dog whether they need dental more regularly than others. Some dogs need dentals every 6 months and some don't need them very often. For example, my Teddy is almost 3 and he does not need a dental yet and he has been examined by both his regular vet and a veterinary dentist (specialist). I brush teeth regularly, and that has helped to keep gums clean and healthy and reduce periodontal disease. If you cannot brush every day, then do it as much as you can. A vet should look at your dog's mouth every time you have a visit with him/her but at a minimum once a year.
By the way, that tooth is probably painful, so calling the vet should be a high priority today.
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