One of the first, and best things, things that veterinarians look at one a dog when examining them is their teeth. Why? Because it’s one of the most common problem areas in dogs.
Dental disease is one of the most common health conditions in dogs everywhere. It doesn’t matter the breed, gender, or size of the dog.
To keep your dog’s teeth healthy and comfortable throughout their entire life, there are some things that you’re going to need to do:
- Feed them dry food
- Give them the proper things to chew
- Brush daily if needed
- Get annual (at least) checkups by your vet
- Professional Dental Cleanings (when needed)
Dry Food And Dog Teeth
It’s easy to understand that when dogs chew dry dog food, the act of chewing actually helps to self-brush the teeth. However, there are plenty of dogs out there that eat dry food and yet still gets constant tartar accumulation. What gives?
How Does Your Dog Chew?
It sounds funny, but I have some patients that only chew on one side of their mouth. How can I tell? Tartar is only accumulating on one side of their mouth.
That could be because there’s a painful tooth issue on the dirtier side, but there are some dogs that just chew one-sided.
There are dogs that chew on certain chew toys but only chew with the very back molars. You can tell because those teeth are pristine while the ones in the front part of the mouth are the ones with all the tartar.
For these reasons, you need to pay attention to all of your dog’s teeth. The front incisors and canines can look perfect but hide painful gum and tooth issues way in the back molars.
Genetics Play A Role
Just like in people where some folks are cursed with having multiple cavities at a very young age, there are some dogs that accumulate tartar early in life despite doing all the right things.
For these dogs we recommend daily “brushing” with a good enzymatic toothpaste. If you simply can’t get this done (usually because your dog is very resistant), then try and experiement with different dental chews until you find something that they will accept and utilize.
That being said, there are going to be dogs that will have bad tartar buildup and gingivitis despite all of your efforts.
Can A Dental Diet Help Your Dog?
There are specially made dental diets that work to reduce tartar and plaque in the mouth as the dogs chew. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) has a list of approved dental diets for dogs. There are only a handful of diets on this list including:
- Purina Dental Health (DH)
- Hill’s T/D
- Science Diet Oral Care
- Eukanuba Adult Maintenance
- Iams Chunk Dental Defense
Give Them Proper Things To Chew
This will be the most contentious thing in this article based on your prior experiences and your preconceptions. However, dogs need to chew.
In knowing what to give (or what NOT to give) them to chew, the most important thing is to know what your dog is likely to do with that. Do they nibble on it steadily and work on it for hours at a time? Or do they tend to try and chomp it in two and then swallow the large pieces?
If your dog is the chomping/swallowing type, you have to be very careful with what you give them. Even the most indestructible chews could be demolished quickly in your dog’s mouth.
There are a few chews that we really like that have been proven to fight plaque and tartar accumulation. These include Greenies as well as CET Chews.
In the vast realm of things that your dog can chew on, there are only a few absolute no-no’s that we don’t like:
- Pig Ears – besides the fact that they had a major recall in 2019, they are very unhealthy
- Cow Hooves – Too Hard – could break teeth
- Butcher Bones (at the supermarket) – Too hard – can definitely break teeth
- Antlers – Really hard – can break teeth
Brush The Teeth Daily (If Needed)
If you’re lucky your dog will have kind of perfect teeth that a chihuahua can only dream about. There’s never any tartar or gingivitis. They chew (or don’t) on something regularly to keep their mouth healthy.
However, you’re likely here because that is not how your dog’s teeth are. Maybe they have bad genetics. Maybe they don’t like to chew on anything. The tartar accumulates easily and the gums are always red.
This is where you, the person, come in. Applying proper dog toothpaste is something that every dog owner should be comfortable with.
Notice I didn’t write “brushing.” Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a toothbrush to apply toothpaste in a dog’s (or cat’s, either, for that matter) mouth. It’s not the act of scrubbing the teeth that makes a difference. It’s the frequency with which you apply the proper toothpaste that decides how much it will help.
Have Regular Exams So The Vet Can Check The Teeth
At the very least, every dog should have an annual exam where every part of their body is checked over by a vet. Depending on their age and any chronic medical conditions, some dogs need to be seen more often.
You may think that everything is totally fine and there are no problems. I can also tell you of countless times I found a problem in the mouth when the pet owner wasn’t aware.
Sometimes that problem was really bad gingivitis. Commonly it can be a a fracture in a tooth that had gone unnoticed. Maybe it’s a few baby teeth that never came out when the dog was younger.
Either way, unless your vet gives your dog’s teeth a clean bill of health, you don’t know if they are healthy or not.
Get Dental Cleanings When Needed
Some dogs need dental cleanings every 6 months. Other may only have one in their entire life. Each dog is different and so there’s no one universal answer to the question of how often should a dog have a professional cleaning.
There are some obvious signs that dental disease is present that will help to alert you to when a cleaning is really needed. Maybe there’s a foul smell. Perhaps your dog has a lot of drool and discharge from its mouth.
Have your vet take a look at your dog’s mouth if there’s any cause for concern. If enough disease is present that your vet feels that a cleaning is needed, then you should proceed with that.
What About Anesthesia-Free Dental Cleanings?
There are some cases in which a dental cleaning is needed but anesthesia is so risky that it’s not advised. The dog may have a heart problem or other serious medical issue and your vet may not want to even risk it.
However, that’s not the typical type of dog that ends up getting an anesthesia-free dental. Usually those dogs are rather healthy but their owners are so worried about anesthesia that they’d rather not do it.
But how good are dental cleanings done while awake? After all, people get their teeth cleaned all the time without the aid of anesthesia!
Dog and cat dental cleanings are done with anesthesia to do two things…to make it safer for the person cleaning to get the job done and to perform as thorough an exam as possible.
Things That Can’t Be Done During An Anesthesia-Free Cleaning
- Teeth Extraction
- Cleaning under the gums where plaque and bacteria like to accumulate
- Polishing of the enamel surface to prevent the quick recurrence of tartar (physically scraping the teeth with an instrument will create tiny micro-fissures in the enamel that will allow tartar to accumulate faster; during a professional cleaning we polish the teeth with a special motorized device that smooths the surface of the tooth to prevent this).
Why You Should Keep Your Dog’s Teeth Healthy
Plaque is a gummy-like substance that forms on the teeth a few hours after a meal. When this gummy plaque mixes with salt in dog’s saliva, it begins to harden. (Note: This is why DAILY application of toothpaste is so important; every day you don’t apply the toothpaste you are losing ground)
As time goes by this plaque continues to harden by accumulating more salts and eventually it turns into tartar. When tartar accumulates on the tooth it begins to push up and against the gums, inflaming them and causing gingivitis.
Bacteria that has been building up on the tartar can infiltrate from the mouth into the body’s bloodstream via this inflammation. This can cause chronic damage to other organs in the body.
Gingivitis is also painful in itself, along with potentially causing a loosening of the tooth from its attachment to the mouth.
Proper and regular dental care helps to prevent and treat these conditions, helping your dog to live with less pain and disease in its body. Ultimately this leads to a longer life and a more comfortable life in later years.
In Conclusion
Taking care of your dog’s teeth should be a priority for every dog owner. Keeping the mouth free of disease will help your dog to live and healthier and happier life!
