There are about a million things more fun than brushing your dog’s teeth. No matter how many treats you offer, how much playtime you engage in, or even if you cover the toothbrush with peanut butter (which we don’t recommend), little can be done to make a toothbrush more than a torture device in your dog’s eyes. Knowing all of this, you may be asking yourself, Do I really need to brush my dog’s teeth?
“The short answer is only the ones you want to save!” Dr. Daniel T. Carmichael, veterinarian and board-certified veterinary dentist, tells Kinship in this article about dog dental careopens in a new tab. He adds that periodontal disease affects 85 percent of dogs, so those teeth definitely deserve some attention.
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Although daily brushing is the best way to maintain your dog’s oral hygiene and stave off early onset dental disease, even the most stringent pro-brush advocates (a.k.a. most veterinarians) acknowledge that it’s no easy task. The best treatment is always prevention, so anything you can do to keep the bacterial plaque from accumulating on your dog’s teeth, the better.
NYC’s top veterinary dentist on bad breath, dental disease, and brushing your dog’s teeth...daily.
How To Brush Your Dog’s Teeth
As far as tools go, you don’t need a special brush — any soft-bristled toothbrush is fine. A large breed, such as a Greyhound, might need something longer, and a small dog, such as a Pug, might benefit from a child’s brush. You don’t really need toothpaste, either. “The brush will do 95 percent of the work,” he says. “Most of the toothpaste is nothing more than flavoring.” Dr. Carmichael also recommends looking for products that meet the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s Accepted Products Listopens in a new tab, which have been vetted for effectiveness and safety.
Once you’ve chosen your player (or tooth-brushing tool), you’re ready to start brushing, but unfortunately, your pup likely isn’t. It’s ideal to start them as puppies or young dogs, but if you’ve adopted a senior dog or are just beginning the process, it’s important not to rush or push their boundaries.
“Get them used to the process. As you’re petting them, lift up their lips and look at their teeth,” Dr. Carmichael says, adding that it helps to go slowly and take breaks. It’s best to start by letting them lick the toothpaste off of your finger, then off of the toothbrush before you begin the process of brushing.
Here are four common dental problems your pup might face and how to treat them.
When you’re ready to take the final plunge into brushing your dog’s teeth, make sure the outside surfaces of the teeth are exposed and begin brushing them in circular motions. Say you’ve adopted an older dogopens in a new tab — yay! — they may have pre-existing dental issues, sensitivity, or just won’t be comfortable with a brush in their mouth anytime soon. In that case, go to your vet for an oral examination and potentially a professional dental treatment. That requires general anesthesia, which could end up draining your savings, so it’s best to start brushing early.
Oh, and once you’ve finished brushing, don’t forget to give the patient a treat, the dog equivalent of a lollypop. It’s important to reward them for their patience and make the experience a positive one so they’ll let you do it again — hopefully, many times over. The gold standard is daily toothbrushing, so we’ve come up with the best dental products that should be in your pup’s medicine cabinet.
Btw, our editors (and their pets) picked out these products. They’re always in stock at the time we publish, but there’s a chance they’ll sell out. If you do buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (We’ve got a lot of toys to buy over here, you know?)
Removing tartar from your pup’s teeth has never been easier. If your tool of choice is usually an index finger (maybe that’s been your dog’s toothbrush so far), this will make the transition to their new hygiene routine way less jarring than a plastic brush.
The gentle-on-gums bristles of this brush will keep your pup in good spirits, while the bamboo construction will keep the planet happy. Bamboo is now widely known as a sustainable material, which makes it a great eco-friendlyopens in a new tab choice for pup parents.
Looking for a deep-cleaning toothpaste to do the extra grunt work for you? You could find your solution in this Dogslife dental care kit, which includes a triple-headed toothbrush to help remove plaque from all sides, deodorize bad breath, and soothe sore gums. Made with peppermint, aloe vera, and grapefruit seeds, it’ll get your pup’s whites whiter with minimal red (bleeding gums).
Also recommended by most vets, Virbac’s C.E.T. Dual Enzyme system is designed to inhibit the formation of plaque. It has no foaming agents, so the toothpaste is safe to be swallowed — which you can expect your dog to do with flavors that include poultry, beef, and vanilla-mint.
Need to give your pup a quick refresh between teeth cleanings? These Shop Dog & Co. dental wipes are an easy thing to reach for while you’re waiting for the professionals to take over. The friction from the wipes helps remove stubborn plaque, the peppermint and baking soda combo helps prevent tooth decay, and the parsley flavor freshens your dog’s breath.
Adding ProDen’s PlaqueOff Dental Powder to your dog’s water bowl is an easy way to clean out the unhealthy bacteria from their mouth without disrupting their day. This no-friction solution to dental care is ideal for finicky puppies or older dogs who’ve already lost most of their teeth.
Some dogs don’t love the taste of water additives, even when they’re mostly flavorless. If your dog is game, products like this offer a great, built-in way to get teeth cleaner every day but — we’ll say it again — they still don’t quite take the place of brushing.
Maybe dental disease isn’t the problem; maybe it’s that your dog’s adorable puppy breath has been replaced with a rancid fish-tank scent. This dog-breath powder is coming to the rescue, so your pup can lick your face with confidence, and you can tolerate it without silently cursing your choice to put them on a stinky raw dietopens in a new tab.
This dental kit has everything you need to clean your dog’s teeth. Most dogs tolerate rubber-finger brushes better than toothbrushes, but if they’re not cool with that either, an odorless and tasteless cleaning gel and water additive can do their part to combat plaque and tarter, while secret ingredient Oxygene tackles bad breath.
Perhaps the best part of taking care of our dogs is the part where we get to reward them with treats. Now, that bonding time has another major bonus: Those treats will clean your dog’s teeth. By chomping down on a hard bone made from plaque-fighting ingredients, your dog can get a teeth cleaning from the comfort of their bed.
If your dog has a zero-tolerance policy for anything entering their mouth except their favorite chew toy, these dental bars are a simple approach to dental hygiene. Made with healthy but satisfying ingredients and constructed in a bristle shape for extra cleaning, these dental sticks will get the job done with minimal aggravation.
Greenies is on a mission to keep pets’ teeth clean. These chewy bones come in a range of sizes and flavors, from peanut butter to sweet potato, and are accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council for at-home dental care for dogs.
Avery is a writer and producer. She has written for numerous publications, including Refinery29, BuzzFeed, and V Magazine. When she’s not at her computer, you can find her reading, practicing her Greek on Duolingo, and delving into the Sex and the City discourse. She lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their cat, Chicken, who rules with an iron fist.
