Caring for Your Dog's Dental Hygiene

Many veterinarians and even some groomers still believe that dental care for your dog is a vet's job and should only be done by a vet. That is like saying don't teach your children to brush their teeth; the dentist will clean their teeth for them. Doesn’t make sense right? All dog owners must be able to care for their own dog’s dental hygiene with a brush and toothpaste and even scaling teeth with a surgical steel scaler.

You can save hundreds of dollars at the vets if you begin this practice with your puppy. But don't lose hope; you can train an older dog to sit for his cleaning too, but you may have to resort to bacon-flavored toothpaste (Don't laugh; it's out there). Dental care will prevent more than bad breath. It will help him to keep all his teeth healthy and his gums free of painful gingivitis, even into his old age.

You train your dog as you would any puppy, with a serious voice to mind and gentle praise when he behaves. To begin with, use a grooming table or raised surface and grooming noose or leash to secure his head and keep him there. Practice viewing his teeth and gums by gently lifting his lips and running a finger along his teeth and gum line. This will help reassure him you aren't going to hurt him. Once he is accustomed to sitting still for you to have your hands in his mouth, you can introduce toothpaste.

Add a small amount to your fingertip and begin to rub along your usual path. Of course, he will immediately know something is different and if ordinary (mild flavored) toothpaste is not to his liking, you could purchase doggy toothpaste from any pet store. The pet marts today offer a wide range of toothpaste, brushes and even rubber finger brushes, which slip over your finger and have a scrubbing surface. I think the brushes work the best, personally, but some dogs refuse to allow it (usually the much older ones who have not been trained for it). Don't be shocked by the gums bleeding. This is normal and does not hurt. Even when your dog chews a bone, this will happen.

While brushing prevents much of the tooth decay and bad breath, it does not replace a thorough scaling to remove plague. Those dark ugly stains can build up to chucks of matter that will cause rotten doggy breath and painful gums, and eventually teeth will become loose and will fall out.

Your dentist is a good source for high-quality steel scalers, as he may give you his discarded ones. Much as a hygienist does, you work under the gums and down to the end of the teeth on both sides. Gently hold the toothbrush across his mouth near the back molars so he bites down on it. At first he may try to push it out with his tongue, but calmly though firmly reassure him you are not going to remove it and that he won't choke if he remains still. This forces his mouth to remain open and wide enough to work on the back teeth.

If you lose the battle or have no patience to train him to care for his teeth, then look for a groomer who does clean and scale teeth as many do not offer the service. You will still have to do your part at home by training him to allow fingers in his mouth, but truly, it will save you hundreds of dollars.