Veterinary Dental Referral Service

Cedric Tutt BVSc (hons), MMedVet (Med) (Bov), MRCVS

Dental Home Care

Daily brushing

Gingivitis is prevented and treated by daily brushing of the teeth. A medium bristled toothbrush and pet toothpaste should be used on a daily basis. Gentle circular motions that extend below the gum line will remove plaque and its associated by-products. It is important to use pet toothpaste because most human toothpastes contain foaming agents and fluoride that is toxic to our pets. Remember also that we do not swallow toothpaste during brushing while our pets do.

Initially allow your pet to lick the toothpaste from either the brush or your finger. Then start brushing the front teeth – try doing the canine and incisors on one side and each day include more teeth until you are able to clean all the teeth at one time. It is usually only necessary to clean the outer surfaces of the teeth because the constant movement of the tongue keeps the inner surfaces fairly clean. If your pet will allow you to open his or her mouth and will tolerate brushing of the inner surfaces then that is advantageous. Often the extra attention received by your pet will make them more tolerant of the experience. In some households the dogs will actually queue up for their turn (each pet has their own brush to prevent possible transmission of oral disease from one pet to another) lest they miss out on the attention.

Daily brushing can be done easily

Dental chews and “tooth” diets

There are numerous dental chews available on the market these days and those that have been approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council are to be recommended. Look at the package for the VOHC seal of approval. Some chews are high in calories and this should be taken into account when feeding your pet. Please ask your vet or pet health care counsellor for assistance in deciding whether or not you need to reduce the amount of food that your pet eats each day.

Some pet diets available today also carry the VOHC seal of approval. There are two main ways in which these diets help to keep the teeth clean. Firstly, some diets are formulated in such a way that when the biscuit is chewed it does not disintegrate but allows the teeth to sink into it before breaking into smaller pieces. This mechanically cleans the teeth during eating. Secondly, some diets have a chemical added to them that has been shown to reduce the accumulation of plaque and calculus on teeth.

Combining dental chews and “tooth” diets with routine daily tooth brushing will reduce dental disease in your pet.

Some pets will eat raw vegetables or fruit for example carrots or apples that will also help keep their teeth clean.

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