Your Dog's Dental Care

Taking Care of Your Dog's Teeth and Gums

Clean teeth and gums are very important to the overall health of your dog. Here's a brief list of the most common dental problems and ways of preventing them.

3 Common Dental Problems in Dogs

Periodontitis

The most common dental problem for canines is periodontitis, also known as periodontal disease. The disease is caused by various factors: plaque, food debris, cell mucus, and a mixture of bacteria. This results in a film characterized by milky-white on the dog's teeth as well as the gums. When this film gets combined with saliva, the plaque it causes becomes tartar, and very hard to remove.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis, also known as gum disease, happens when gum tissue suffers from an inflammation. Without treatment, it can lead to periodontitis, teeth loosening, bone loss, and ultimately, loss of teeth.

Tooth Fractures

Tooth fractures occur when dogs chew hard substances, such as hard rocks and cow hooves. The fractures result to infection inside the broken tooth, which is known as the endodontic disease.

How to Prevent Dental Problems

Your dog can fight off these dental problems by removing the plaque before it actually develops as tartar. How to do it? The most effective way is by brushing the teeth of your dog in a mechanical fashion. The brushing would reduce much of the bacteria presence in the mouth, not to mention making your dog's breath smell sweeter. Make it a habit of brushing your dogs' teeth on a daily basis.

Toothpaste.  There are toothpaste products made especially for dogs. Brush your pet's teeth using dog toothpaste. Human toothpaste is specifically designed for humans to spit the paste washings out. Dogs cannot do that, so pick a dog toothpaste because it's safe enough for dogs to swallow.

Toothbrush.  Using a toothbrush in its teeth will take some time for the dog to get used to. Let your dog be acquainted and get used to this is by putting some garlic salt, mix the salt with water, and dip the solution in an old toothbrush. Hold the old brush, and let your pet taste and chew it. Your dog will start to realize that chewing a toothbrush is and tastes good. Make it a habit a few times, until he feels comfortable brushing with it.

Finger Brush.  A finger brush fits onto one's fingertip and is a good alternative to a regular toothbrush.  The only disadvantage of using a finger brush to clean your dog's teeth is that its bristles are quite large for the brush to go under the gumline's margin as effectively compared with regular toothbrush.  [Note: product technology is ever-changing.  Check for new developments on the market.]

Mouthwash.  There are some products in the market that deal very well in helping to kill the bacteria in your dog's mouth and could actually help heal damaged gum tissues. Do not forget to ask your veterinarian about the best products in the current market.

Home Checkup.  Try to make it a regular habit of checking the teeth of your dog for any cracked or broken teeth. If you see some problematic teeth, check promptly with the veterinarian.

Home Safety.  Of course, cleaning your dog's teeth does not mean you should disregard other areas of concern. Tough substances, such as bones, rocks, hard nylon, or cow hooves should be removed from areas where your dog could see. Buy your dog chewing toys that are safer like rubber-made toys. You could also provide bones that are soft enough for your dog to chew.

Professional cleaning.  If you don't want to do the cleaning by yourself, you could take your dog to a veterinarian and have his teeth professionally cleaned. A good veterinarian will take additional measures in ensuring your dog's clean teeth by anesthetizing your dog, scraping the build-up of plaque from all over the gumline areas, and polishing the teeth for a sparkling finish.