Establishing an at home dental care routine is an important part of your dog’s overall health. Just like us, dogs need regular dental care to prevent issues like tartar buildup and gum disease. Follow these steps to ensure your furry friend's smile stays healthy and bright.
Daily Brushing
Establish a routine of brushing your dog's teeth daily or at least three times a week. This helps prevent tartar buildup and keeps their gums healthy.
Check Your Dog's Teeth Regularly
Start by looking at the color of your dog's teeth. Healthy teeth should be white. If you notice yellow, grey, or greenish discoloration, it's likely that tartar is accumulating. That is not something that you will be able to brush off and they will need a professional dental cleaning.
Inspect the Gum Line
Healthy gums are pink. If you see a red line at the gum line, that is gingivitis or inflammation of the gum tissue. Regular brushing helps maintain gum health and prevents more tartar from forming.
Get Your Dog Used to Toothbrushing
Introduce toothbrushing early by simply playing with your dog’s teeth. If you have a puppy, it is beneficial to begin putting your fingers in their mouth, touching their teeth and gums so that they get used to it. If you have an adult dog who has never had their teeth brushed before, we recommend starting with lifting their lips and looking at the teeth. Doing this is a good starting point to make sure they will tolerate you handling their mouth. From there, you can work your way up to touching the teeth, and even putting a bit of toothpaste on your finger wiping it on the tooth, and let them get used to the flavor.
Use Pet-Safe Toothpaste
Never use human toothpaste for dogs. Choose pet-specific toothpaste with flavors like poultry, which has an enzymatic action that sticks to the tooth and works on the plaque, even without much physical brushing.
Choose the Right Tools
Once your dog is used to having their mouth handled, you can try using a toothbrush. You only need to use a small amount of paste. Don’t worry about getting the brush wet before you begin. You don’t want to be in there a long time, so we recommend brushing the most important areas first (see video above for visual demonstration). Pulling back your dog’s lip, you will want to focus on the upper cheek area of the mouth and work your way back to their canine tooth. Next, you can try to brush the front top teeth or "incisors". Some dogs enjoy chewing on the bristles and this helps to remove tartar as well. The bottom teeth are a challenging spot to reach. We recommend getting your dog used to the top teeth before attempting to brush the bottom.
Make it Enjoyable
Make brushing a positive experience for your dog. Start slow, use praise, and gradually increase the duration. Reward good behavior to reinforce the routine.
If you have questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (760) 456-9556, or you can email us at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow us on social media! We are on Facebook and Instagram.
The Drake Center for Veterinary Care is an AAHA-accredited animal hospital located in Encinitas, CA. The Drake Center loves being a source of information for all pet owners across the country; however, if you have any questions regarding pet care and do not live in Encinitas, CA or surrounding cities, we encourage you to contact your local veterinarian.