Regularly brushing your dog’s teeth and providing it with a healthy diet along with proper dental care can go a long way towards keeping her mouth clean. Both dogs face gum problems before or after the age of four years. The only reason for this is the lack of dental and mouth care.

Regularly brushing teeth is as important for dogs as it is important for humans. So, never think that being an animal, your dog won’t get sick with unclean teeth and gums.

Is Tooth Decay harmful to dogs?

Dogs usually don’t get tooth decay as humans. However, small dogs are more prone to dental problems than larger breeds. As food passes from the mouth to the stomach, various bacteria from the mouth can go into the stomach with food and cause stomach problems.

A buildup of bacteria can lead to very serious problems.

·         Bacteria buildup can enter into the bloodstream and reach the brain, liver, and heart.

·         It can often lead to tooth loss.

·         The dog feels pain in the mouth and teeth while eating or drinking.

·         The infection can also spread to sinus cavities.

How should I provide dental care to my dog?

Brushing and cleaning your dog’s teeth is not difficult, and you can perform it at home. It also does not take much time, so routine cleaning and brushing of teeth should be ensured to avoid bacteria buildup.

When to start dental care:

Dental care should start as soon as you bring the puppy home. If you get an older dog, first take it to the vet for a dental checkup. It does not matter if you bring it from the best breeder; you never know the dental state of the dog.

How often should I brush my dog’s teeth?

For healthy gums and clean teeth, you should brush your dog’s teeth one time every day. It is better to follow a schedule and choose a certain time so the dog won’t disturb you.

Never think that cleaning your dog’s teeth every day is not safe. A study revealed that 85% of dogs suffer from dental issues.

How to clean your dog’s teeth?

Cleaning and brushing your dog’s teeth is very easy, and you can perform it like professionals even at your home. Dogs require their own special toothpaste and toothbrush, so you must keep that with you.

Before using a brush, make sure that your dog is used to cleaning teeth with your finger. Every day, sit with your dog for 10 minutes and clean its teeth with your finger. If your puppy sits still and behaves good, give it treats for the good behavior to encourage it.

After a week or so, start using a toothbrush. Put a pea-size drop of toothpaste on the brush and begin cleaning the teeth. Make sure the brush reaches all the teeth.

A good scrubbing of the teeth will take 2-3 minutes. Your dog may disturb you in the beginning, but be patient. It will adapt to this in a few days. These two minutes of cleaning will protect your dog from a lot of diseases. Although swallowing the canine toothpaste is safe for the dog, cleaning it with a piece of gauze is a better choice.

Professional dental care for dogs:

A professional dental care process by the vet will remove calculus, tarte and other elements that cannot be removed from brushing at home.

This process is called ‘’Full Dental’’ and is performed with the dog under anesthesia. If your dog is sensitive to anesthesia, you can learn to scrape the tartar yourself. In this way, you will need a ‘’Full Dental’’ every 2 to 3 years.

Here is the process of the dental care performed by the vet.

·         Your dog will be anesthetized.

·         The vet will take an x-ray to check the condition of the mouth of your dog.

·         He will then use a solution to flush the mouth. This will kill all the bacteria.

·         The vet will use handheld and ultrasonic scalers. This step is very important as it will remove all calculus from the gum line. This can only be performed under anesthesia.

·         A disclosing solution is also used afterwards to show any areas of remaining calculus and remove it.

·         The teeth are polished. This will remove all the microscopic scratches left.

·         Then, the vet will inspect the teeth and gums to check for any signs of disease.

·         He will again flush the mouth using an antibacterial solution. The vet might also apply a dental agent to stop plaque buildup.

In the end, the vet will suggest a follow-up and dental care program at home for your dog.

How to scrape your dog’s teeth?

You can scrape your dog’s teeth at home if you don’t want to get it done from the vet. It is very similar to humans using a plaque scraper. For this purpose, we recommend using scrapers made specifically for dogs as it will be of the perfect size.

Make sure that our dog is already used to brushing teeth before using the scraper. Then, carefully scrape each tooth and use a gauze or paper towel to wipe the plaque from the scraper. If not, it can cause serious health issues for your dog once swallowed.

After scraping the teeth, you should follow with brushing. Then, reward your dog with a treat for behaving like a good boy!

Dental checkups are required even if you are scraping your dog’s teeth at home. A dental checkup is suggested at least every two years.

Wrapping Up

Regularly brushing your dog’s teeth is essential for its health and well-being. However, professional dental care is also required as it cleans all the plaque that is not removed by brushing and scraping. Using the same brush and toothpaste you use on yourself is not a good idea. There are toothbrushes, canine toothpaste, and scrapers specifically made for dogs. So, we recommend to use them.