Joseph Roetheli, PhD
A recent study found that only 7% of dog owners brush their dog’s teeth daily. This is the highest percentage I have ever seen — most are in the 1-3% range. And most dog owners have never brushed their dog’s teeth.
Many dogs have unclean mouths, and many of these dogs are in jeopardy of serious ramifications, like gum disease. This article will cover the importance of brushing your puppy’s teeth and how it can prevent dental diseases, preserve oral hygiene, and help your dog live a long life.
St. Francis Veterinary Hospital lists seven reasons a dog owner should provide dental care. These are all important and include:
So, oral care is very important, and brushing remains the gold standard. From here, let’s focus on one of the most severe dental problems: gum disease.
The really sad news, from my perspective, is that studies document that 80% of dogs (four of every five dogs you encounter) over the age of three have some form of gum disease and/or (hardened) tartar, also known as calculus. The hardened is in parentheses because, by definition, tartar is hard, but a new puppy owner may not know this.
Many dog owners do not know the very harmful consequences of gum disease. For example, they may just think gum disease is an avenue for vets to have more clients — this is far from the truth! The vets are working hard for your dog to live a longer, healthier, happier life.
Gum disease begins with bacteria and plaque accumulating on the teeth daily; this is why daily brushing (twice daily is actually recommended) or other oral care is needed.
When plaque hardens into tartar, the tartar now harbors plaque and bacteria, precursors to gum disease. Over time, they infect the gums.
The first stage of gum disease is gingivitis, where the gums become swollen and red. Over time, this evolves into very red gums, and bleeding occurs. This is where a dog is in jeopardy.
The bleeding gums open blood vessels to the bacteria in the mouth. These “bad guy” organisms enter the bloodstream and use it as a “race track” to vital organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, and kidney. This is known as “bacteremia.”
The bacteria then damage the vital organs, and if not treated, this can be fatal, extinguishing your dog’s life way too soon. So always remember this, and brush your dog’s teeth or provide some other form of dental management as a good pet parent.
At 6-8 weeks of age, you can begin brushing your puppy’s teeth.
Go slow. Go easy. Go simple. Go short. Make it fun! Your puppy needs lots of praise and rewards when she or he does things right; that definitely includes lots of love!
I urge you to begin a monthly procedure to lift the jowls, loose skin, and lips that hang on either side of a dog’s mouth. Check for tartar accumulation (typically yellowish brown near where the tooth and gum join — the gumline).
Also, check for cracked or broken teeth, as this is another way for those “bad guy” bacteria to enter the blood vessels and race to the vital organs of a dog.
The severe ramifications of gum disease are why I definitely want to encourage you to brush your puppy’s teeth; most owners need the encouragement. This is an important task with life-long benefits and consequences for your puppy. It is an investment of time in your puppy’s health and welfare. Don’t short-change your dog!
The Animal Hospital of North Ashevilleprovides a helpful guide for Brushing Your Puppy’s Teeth. Other sites have good information on how to brush your puppy’s teeth, too. Start early and stay dedicated to the health and welfare of your puppy her/his entire life.
According to North Asheville’s guide, you’ll need the proper equipment, such as a dog toothbrush (not a finger toothbrush) that’s the right size for your pup and safe-to-swallow dog toothpaste. Finger brushes are not recommended because they’re not as good at getting back teeth. However, feel free to use your finger to introduce pet toothpaste for the first time.
You might want to add a bit of peanut butter or other good-tasting food to entice your dog to cooperate with brushing. Also, find a peaceful location where other distractions do not interfere. Finally, don’t forget to use a circular motion with the toothbrush and toothpaste!
Depending on your puppy’s breed and temperament, expect to devote many hours to training them to enjoy getting her/his teeth brushed. Up to this point in your puppy’s life, virtually everything has been instinctive to them. Now, you are introducing the puppy to training which is not instinctive.
So, do not be surprised if your puppy does not take to training quickly. But don’t stop if your puppy objects, or the puppy is likely to interpret this as a “win” and continue to object. Both you and the puppy need to be patient yet persistent. You want to make this part of a lifetime of togetherness, don’t you?
Brushing a dog’s teeth remains the best gum protection plan — it’s the “gold standard.” But like many things in life, it is not for everyone. Some people do not have the time or temperament to train a puppy to enjoy having her/his teeth brushed, and some puppies are just not willing to be trained to have their teeth cleaned.
This gets us into the realm of the subjective versus the objective relations in life. This is my definition. The subjective is what should be; the objective is what is.
So, in terms of a puppy’s teeth, the subjective is that the best platform is to brush your puppy’s teeth daily or more. The objective is what is realistic in the circumstances of your life. You may not have the time to brush daily, or you may have health issues that will not allow you to brush your dog’s teeth daily.
If that’s the case, what are the next best alternatives when brushing daily is not for you and your circumstances?
There are a host of dental treats on the market. They all make claims. I suggest that you carefully validate claims in some manner to make sure a treat indeed does what is claimed on the package.
There are different ways to gain more insight into claims listed on a package of dental treats. Anyone can place a claim on a package, so beware.
First, if the package carries the Veterinary Oral Health Council Seal of Acceptance, you know the product has undergone independent third-party testing to earn the Seal. The testing is costly, so some manufacturers do not like it, but the Seal provides validation that a treat functions to deter plaque and/or tartar.
A second approach is simply the results of third-party testing documenting that the product meets the claims. This is much better if the protocol and results have been peer-reviewed and then published in a technical journal.
A third way to gather ideas of legitimacy is if the treat has earned a patent, which requires the concept behind the treat to be novel (new) and non-obvious to a skilled person in that field. However, a patent does not assure that a product performs to meet the packaging claims.
Tartar Claims
There are two ways to test and understand a tartar claim. The VOHC Seal testing protocol begins with cleaning teeth and measuring if the product deters new tartar buildup.
A second protocol begins with dirty teeth; the testing focuses on whether the treat actually removes existing (hardened) tartar. This second approach is much more challenging to validate, as one is testing to remove tartar, not just deter new buildup.
Yummy Combs®, produced by our company (Pet’s Best Life), has earned the VOHC Seal for Tartar Control and conducted a dirty tooth study led by three Board-Certified Veterinary Dentists. This study is the first to clinically prove that a treat can remove tartar, with a >25% reduction in tartar and a >45% reduction in malodor (bad breath) in a 60-day test.
Yummy Combs® relies on three US patents, two more of which are pending. It delivers five innovations in safety and provides superior-quality protein. The results of this clinical test are published in the May 2024 Journal of Veterinary Dentistry (Vol 41, Issue #3).
Even with brushing or dental treats, you need to work with your veterinarian and get advice on when your dog needs a more formal cleaning to reduce the prospects of dangerous gum disease.
Professional tooth cleaning is costly. However, brushing and/or dental treats can reduce the frequency. Perhaps, rather than having a professional cleaning each year, you can manage to have just one once every two to three years. This may depend on your diligence in brushing or the number of treats you give to reduce tartar buildup.
A tradeoff exists between brushing and using dental treats to address your dog’s oral health. If not managed well, brushing a puppy’s teeth can damage the bond of love between owner and puppy, whereas a treat is a reward to the puppy — let’s call it “doggie-powered dental care.” On the other hand, brushing is still the gold standard.
You are embarking on a task that requires great passion, persistence, and dedication with your puppy. If you think this will be easy, you have guessed wrong. It takes much effort, a great deal of time, and compassion.
As a puppy owner, you will need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages and decide if you go with the “gold standard” of brushing daily or if other factors lead you in the direction of a dental treat.
You have a choice to make, but you must consider the serious consequences of not implementing some form of dental care to avoid the longer-term implications of tartar, plaque, and bacteria.
Sources:
How to Brush Your Puppy’s Teeth. Animal Hospital of North Asheville.
7 Reasons Why Dental Care for Dogs is Important. St. Francis Vet Hospital, Sylvania, OH.
Why, When, and How Often Should You Brush Your Dogs’ Teeth. Tracy Isenberg, Licensed Vet Tech.
VOHC Seal. Veterinary Oral Health Council.
Evaluation of Calculus, Plaque, Gingivitis and Malodor Reduction Using a Daily Honeycomb Shaped Dental Chew in Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. May 2024. Vol 41. Issue 3.
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Always feed the right treat size for your dog’s weight category. Always supervise your dog when feeding treats. This product is an adult only dog treat. Always provide ample fresh water for your dog.
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