By the age of three, the majority of dogs have some degree of periodontal disease. It is the most common disease in adult dogs, it is painful, and dogs hide the pain almost perfectly.
It is also almost entirely preventable, and the thing that prevents it is mechanical removal of plaque — which means a brush.
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What actually happens in the mouth
Plaque is a soft bacterial film that forms on teeth within hours of cleaning. Left alone, minerals in saliva harden it into tartar within about three days.
Once it is tartar, brushing will not remove it. It needs scaling under general anaesthetic.
The tartar itself is not the disease. The disease is what the bacteria do at the gumline: inflammation, then loss of the ligament and bone holding the tooth, then infection, then tooth loss. Along the way it is genuinely painful, and there is reasonable evidence linking chronic oral infection to problems elsewhere in the body.
That three-day window is why brushing needs to be frequent. Daily is ideal. Three times a week is the realistic minimum that makes a measurable difference. Once a week is better than nothing but will not prevent disease.
What you need
A dog toothpaste. Never human toothpaste — fluoride is not meant to be swallowed, and many human pastes contain xylitol, which is severely toxic to dogs. Dog pastes are enzymatic and flavoured to be swallowed.
Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste
An enzymatic paste in poultry and malt flavours, designed to be swallowed and to keep working after brushing. Most dogs treat it as food, which is exactly what you want in week one.
A brush. A soft dog toothbrush, a child’s brush, or a finger brush. Finger brushes are easier to start with and less effective long-term — a proper brush head reaches the gumline better.
The two-week introduction
Do not open a dog’s mouth and start brushing. That is one bad experience away from a dog who runs at the sight of the tube.
Days 1 to 3. Let your dog lick a small amount of paste off your finger. That is the entire session. Ten seconds, once a day. The paste becomes a treat.
Days 4 to 6. Paste on your finger, and rub it briefly along the outside of the front teeth. Lift the lip gently rather than opening the mouth. Five seconds, then stop and praise.
Days 7 to 9. Same, but work back to the canines and the first few cheek teeth. Ten seconds a side.
Days 10 to 12. Introduce the brush with paste on it. Let them lick it first. Then a few strokes on the front teeth.
Days 13 onwards. Brush one side, then the other. Build to thirty seconds per side.
Technique
- Outside surfaces only. That is where most plaque accumulates, and the tongue does a reasonable job on the inside. Fighting for access to the inner surfaces is not worth the goodwill it costs
- Angle the brush at about 45 degrees to the gumline. The junction between tooth and gum is where disease starts
- Small circular motions, gentle pressure
- Do not open the mouth. Lift the lip with your other hand and brush with the jaw closed. It is far less intrusive
- Pay attention to the upper cheek teeth. The big carnassial tooth on each side is where tartar builds worst
What else helps (and what does not)
Dental chews with a VOHC seal of acceptance have evidence behind them for reducing plaque or tartar. They are a genuine supplement to brushing, not a replacement, and they carry calories — count them.
Greenies Teenie Dental Dog Treats
A widely used dental chew with a texture designed to scrape along the tooth as the dog chews. Match the size to your dog’s weight, and subtract the calories from their daily allowance.
Dental diets with larger, fibre-aligned kibble do have evidence. Ordinary kibble does not clean teeth.
Water additives and dental gels vary; look for a VOHC seal rather than marketing.
Raw bones. Contentious. They do remove plaque, and they also cause a substantial proportion of the fractured teeth vets see. Weight-bearing bones from large animals are the worst offenders. Many vets advise against them entirely.
Antlers, hooves, hard nylon and ice cubes. The rule of thumb: if you cannot make a dent with a thumbnail, it can break a tooth.
Tennis balls. Abrasive. Dogs who carry them constantly wear their teeth flat.
Professional cleaning
Home care slows disease; it does not reverse what is already there. Most dogs need scaling and polishing under general anaesthetic at some point, and the frequency depends on the dog — small breeds and brachycephalics with crowded mouths need it far more often.
Be wary of “anaesthesia-free dental cleaning”. It scrapes visible tartar off the crown, which looks better, while doing nothing below the gumline where the disease actually is. It also cannot allow proper probing or dental radiographs, and the dog has to be restrained throughout.
Signs of dental pain
Dogs almost never stop eating because of tooth pain — they simply adapt. Look for:
- Bad breath, which is the most common first sign and is not normal
- Dropping food, chewing on one side, or swallowing kibble whole
- Blood on chews or in the water bowl
- Red, swollen or receding gums
- A swelling under the eye, which can be a tooth-root abscess
- Pawing at the mouth, or turning away when the head is touched
- Loose or discoloured teeth
Owners routinely report that a dog “became a puppy again” after dental treatment. That is not the treatment being magic; it is the pain having been there, quietly, for years.
