Dog dental care is often overlooked by owners, but it is just as important to keeping your dog healthy and happy. To protect your dog from recurring or future dental problems, you need to take good care of their teeth and gums. Here’s how.

Make It a Routine

Dog dental care, for the most part, involves brushing your dog’s teeth. However, training a dog to sit through brushings can be a challenge, as they may find having a toothbrush in the mouth off-putting at first.

If you’re working with an adult dog, expect it to be a bit harder. Although adult dogs can learn to tolerate brushings, puppies are easier to train. So begin as early as you can.

For your first few tries, remember to do the following:

Schedule the day’s session post-exercise, especially if you think it will be hard to get your pup to sit still. If he or she has used up their energy, they’re less likely to put up a fight.
Go easy on them. Start off slow and cut it short if he or she becomes agitated. Don’t worry if you don’t get to brush all of their teeth on your initial attempt. Just spend a bit more time with each try, and soon after they’ll be comfortable enough to complete a session.
Make it as pleasant an experience as possible. Speak calmly and affectionately throughout the session. And don’t forget to praise him or her and reward them with a dental treat or two once you’re done brushing.
Do it properly. Scrub plaque gently away from the gum line using small circular motions. While doing this, dip the brush frequently in water to rinse off the plaque. You don’t have to brush their tongue; just focus on the outside of the teeth.
Brush your dog’s teeth daily, especially if they have severe periodontal disease, twice a week if they are at risk of developing plaque, and at the minimum once every week.

If it’s too much trouble to brush their teeth at home, or their dental problems are too severe, bringing him or her to your veterinarian for a cleaning may be the better option.

Get the Right Tools

Your choice of dog dental care “tools” are essential for an enjoyable tooth-brushing experience for both of you. For the toothbrush, you can:

Get a special canine toothbrush from a pet store. Your best bet: a double-headed brush with a long handle and soft bristles angled at 45 degrees, making it easy to get to the molars and reach below the gum line.
Use the same bristled toothbrush people normally use: a soft adult toothbrush for large dogs and an extra-soft baby toothbrush for small dogs.
Give electric toothbrushes a try. An electric toothbrush would work well, as long as your dog is comfortable with noise that comes with it. Note that some dogs respond adversely to this kind to toothbrush though, which in turn will hold them back in their training.
Use a fingertip “brush” or a gauze sponge if the hard surface of a regular toothbrush bothers your dog. Such brushes are designed to rub off plaque without harming the gums. However, they are not as effective as soft-bristle brushes and using them increases the chances of your finger being accidentally bitten.

When you’re picking out her toothpaste, remember to:

Buy toothpaste formulated for dogs. Regular human toothpaste is a big no-no due to its fluoride content (fluoride is toxic to dogs).
Look for flavored kinds. Besides being fluoride-free, dog toothpaste usually comes in flavors meant to entice your pooch (for example chicken, or beef).
Go for toothpaste formulations containing antibacterial enzymes, which help prevent bacteria from growing and lowers the likelihood of gingivitis.

If your dog simply can’t tolerate toothpaste, substitute toothpaste with a tiny amount of baking soda (too much will hurt your dog more than help). If that doesn’t work, using plain water will do.

To promote dog dental care in between brushings:

Buy a chew bone or toy designed to help keep a dog’s teeth clean and strong. Those made of a nice rawhide or have built-in floss are great options.
Give your dog more dry food, such as crunchy kibble, than soft food. The latter tends to stick more to teeth and thus often leads to tooth decay.

Excellent dog dental care will not only keep your dog’s teeth and gums clean and healthy, it could also extend their lifespan. So add this to your to-do list and give your dog’s dental health the attention it deserves.

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