American Dental Association

How Important Is Pet Dental Care?
By Gary Allison
Dental care is an important part of caring for your pet. Just like humans ? dogs have teeth that can cause problems if they are not cared for with a proper dental routine. You may have already noticed, but dogs can suffer from bad breath just like humans can.

Your vet is an important part of this dental care. Ask your vet to show you how to brush your pets? teeth properly. Your vet knows how to brush their teeth properly so your beloved pet doesn?t get gum disease or any of the other conditions associated with poor oral hygiene.

You are going to need to spend some time finding the right toothbrush for your dog. You can use a child?s toothbrush ? but it is recommended that you rather buy a special toothbrush for your pet. It will make brushing easier and will be worth the money.

To buy a toothbrush you can visit your vet or local pet supply store. You might be surprised to see how many variations of pet toothbrushes and toothpaste?s there are. Rather ask for help if you are not sure about what kind to get. There are some rules for choosing the best brush for your dog. You need to make sure that the bristles are soft so they don?t damage the dog?s gums. You also need to make sure you choose the right sized brush (just make sure its? not too big or too small for your dogs mouth). Lastly check that the handle is big enough for you to comfortably get a grip on the toothbrush.

You cannot use human toothpaste on your dog. Rather use a special high quality toothpaste with ingredients specially formulated

for dogs. You need to spend some time choosing your toothpaste too. Cheaper brands might use ingredients that are harmful to your pet, and there are some common ingredients can make your pet sick. Read the labels carefully and check that the toothpaste does not contain salt, detergents or enzymes as these are dangerous for your pet. There is a huge choice at most pet supply store?s so ask for help and read the labels carefully.

Brushing your dogs? teeth for the first time can be difficult; especially if they are not used to it. This can be avoided by starting when they are puppies ? but if it?s too late for that don?t worry. The key is to be gentle, speak in a soft voice and do not force the dog. He must learn that it is not a big deal. Start from the back of the mouth and work your way forward in small circular motions.

If your dog really does not want to allow you to brush his teeth without a fight you can use a towel first. Try rubbing his teeth so he gets used to the sensation as well as your fingers in his mouth. Speak encouragingly and softly; you can even sing a little tune to calm him down. After a few patient weeks the dog should allow you to brush his teeth without any hassles.

You should be brushing your dogs? teeth daily; but if you can?t manage that ? once every second day should be fine. It?s important that you start too see your dogs mouth as your own. By doing this you will ensure that your dogs? teeth will last well into old age; and of course his dog breath will improve.