Dental health is essential for your dog’s well-being. It helps to prevent oral pain and can help keep their organs healthy.

When food particles cling to teeth and gums, they form a filmy substance called plaque. Brushing regularly removes the plaque before it hardens into tartar. Tartar can cause serious damage to your dog’s gums and the underlying bone that anchors their teeth.

Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene is the process of keeping your pet’s teeth and gums clean. It can improve their overall health and prevent oral problems such as halitosis, tooth loss, and periodontal disease.

Dental disease begins with a build-up of plaque on the surface of your pet’s teeth. If the plaque isn’t cleaned off, it will eventually harden into tartar, which can damage the tooth and gums.

During a professional dental cleaning, we remove this plaque. But tartar that gets below the gum line is much harder to remove, and can cause inflammation and damage your pet’s structures supporting their teeth.

Chew Toys

Chewing on dog dental chew toys can help keep dogs’ teeth clean and remove plaque and tartar. These toys also whiten teeth, freshen breath and eliminate odor.

Choosing the right dental chew toy for your dog is important. You need to consider your dog’s chewing habits, strength and what size and durability level of toy works best for them.

There are many types of chew toys to choose from, but the ones with a squeaky center and hollow grooves are ideal for brushing your dog’s teeth. They also encourage chewing on different shapes and textures, which is crucial for your dog’s oral health.

Dry Food

Dry food has been a popular way to improve dog dental health. However, there is some evidence that it does not provide the proper mechanical abrasion that helps keep your pet’s teeth clean.

In addition, the ingredients in dry kibble are often high in sugar and simple carbohydrates that contribute to a buildup of oral bacteria. These bacteria can lead to problems like plaque, tartar, and gum disease.

Rather than feeding your dog dry kibble, consider a dry/wet mix diet for better dental health and to prevent bad breath. Or, try adding dental chews impregnated with enzymes to your dog’s regular diet or a tartar-control rinse.

Oral Rinse

Oral rinses are a great way to help improve your pet’s oral health. They contain germ-fighting ingredients to reduce bacterial counts and promote good breath.

They can also be beneficial after a professional dental cleaning or procedure, like a root canal. These rinses help to reduce the amount of bacteria that are deposited in the mouth during these procedures.

Therapeutic mouth rinses are used to prevent, treat or cure different conditions, such as cavities, periodontal disease, gum inflammation and dry mouth (xerostomia). They can also be prescribed after surgery and periodontal treatment in order to improve healing and reduce microbial load, says Dr. Gaddis

Some oral rinses can be purchased over the counter, and some are available by prescription. Before buying one, talk with your veterinarian about the product’s effectiveness and safety.

Brushing

Brushing your dog’s teeth daily is one of the most important things you can do to improve their dental health. Not only does it remove bacteria that can cause gingivitis and periodontal disease, but it can also prevent tartar from forming.

Plaque is a biological biofilm that coats your dog’s teeth and, if left untreated, will harden into a cement-like substance called tartar. Tartar can only be removed by a professional dental cleaning.

To help your dog get used to having you handle their mouth, Lommer suggests accustoming them to the process with treats or a reward system after each session. This will make them more comfortable, and you’ll be able to brush them properly without much stress.