Tips For Brushing Your Dogs Teeth

Dental hygiene is just as important for dogs as it is for humans. Like people, dogs can experience dental disease and cavities. In fact, 80% of dogs over the age of three experience dental disease, most commonly, periodontal disease. Keeping your pups teeth clean is as important as feeding them healthy foods or making sure they get an adequate amount of exercise. However, every dog owner knows that brushing your dogs teeth can be tricky. Today I’m sharing 4 tips for brushing your dogs teeth plus other ways to keep their teeth clean. 

Tips For Brushing Your Dogs Teeth

Tip #1: Choose a Calm Time

Find a time when your house is calm and ideally you’re alone with just your dog. Bright lights, noisy children, and other distractions can cause your dog to become stressed, making teeth brushing even more difficult. 

Tip #2: Introduce the Toothbrush and Toothpaste Slowly

If you whip out your toothbrush, spread some toothpaste on it, and shove it into your pups mouth they’re going to get overwhelmed and likely try to run off. Introduce the teeth brushing materials slowly. Lightly tap the toothbrush to the dogs gums and teeth, praising them as they allow you to do this. 

As for the toothpaste, spread a little onto your finger and let your dog lick it off to get used to the taste. 

Note: Make sure you are using a dog toothbrush and dog toothpaste. A dog toothbrush will be easier to use than a human one. And human toothpaste is toxic to dogs if they swallow it. 

Tip #3: Brush From the Front to Back

Start the teeth brushing process with the bottom front teeth as these will be the easiest to access. If your dog is tolerating the front teeth being brushed, you can move your way back to the side and back teeth and then up to the top.

Tip #4: Praise and Reward

Praise your dog constantly throughout the brushing for being calm and allowing you to do so. You can also give small treats at each step to reward them for being good. Getting their teeth brushed is unnatural for dogs, so we won’t to praise them greatly for allowing it to be done.

Other Ways to Keep Your Dogs Teeth Clean

Bones and Chew Toys

The act of chewing will remove plaque build up from your dogs teeth. Get your pup some natural chews such as bully sticks or cow ears to help keep tartar to a minimum. You can also use chew toys in place of a natural chew. 

Dental Treats

Dental treats are made to remove plaque from your dogs teeth as they chew while also helping to freshen breath. 

Professional Cleanings

Once your dog reaches maturity, yearly cleanings done by the vet are great for keeping dogs teeth clean and healthy. Your vet will be able to remove plaque build up to prevent dental disease from spreading and causing issues later on down the road.

Watch Their Diet

Too many treats or scraps from the table are large culprits in causing plaque build up on canine teeth. Stick to feeding your dog a healthy, vet approved diet and keep treats to a minimum. If you do want to feed your pup the occasional piece of human food, stick to foods that are healthy for them such as fruits and veggies.