How To Clean and Brush Your Dogs Teeth

Posted by Gerald Njuguna on September 11th, 2007 at 05:07pm

Most people don’t seem to realize how important it is to care for the teeth of their dogs. Just like humans, as the dog ages, so do the teeth need more care.

The best way to ensure that your dog ’s teeth are in good health is to start caring for them while they are still young. So how do you go about brushing and cleaning the teeth of your dog?

Most dogs don’t like their mouths being touched so its important that as a dog owner you teach them early to let you touch their mouths.

When you go to the vet he/she will want to examine the dog’s mouth and you wouldn’t want him to have trouble with your dog. So teach the dog early by touching its lips, opening the mouth and feeling its teeth in a relaxed manner for about 5 minutes each day.

With time your dog will get used to your hands and fingers. Make this a regular habit so that he learns how to remain calm when you are doing any kind of preventive dental care.

Most vets would advise you to brush the teeth of your dog on a daily basis. There are many different kinds of toothpastes in the market right now for dogs. Never use human toothpaste on your dog cause its harmful to them.

To get your dog used to his teeth being brushed, start by putting some toothpaste on a cotton ball and gently rub it all over his teeth. Toothpaste for dogs is usually quite yummy to them, so he wont mind having it in his mouth.

Use a finger brush on him to brush his teeth. With time, you will need to start using a regular dog toothbrush. Brushing the teeth of your dog on a regular basis will prevent calculus and debris from building up on his teeth.

There are other ways to prevent calculus from accumulating on your dog’s teeth. One way is to use rawhide chews made for dogs. There are many companies out there that make these dog chews. One of the best available for dog dental care is by C.E.T.

C.E.T. chews contain a certain enzyme that prevent plaque from forming on the dog’s teeth and also minimize bacteria from building up.

Also, the rawhide chews are rough and this helps keep the teeth healthy and strong. Let me just add here that even with the best measures that you use to prevent tooth decay, you will still need to visit your vet at one time in order for the dog’s teeth to be properly cleaned.

Should the vet recommend that the dog’s teeth be cleaned, please ensure that you honor his/her request. The danger is that if your dog develop a disease on its teeth, bad bacteria might pass through its blood system which could end up destroying the its kidneys or even develop heart problems!

When you take your dog to the vet, you will notice that the dental cleaning that he will perform will be similar to that done humans but the major difference here is that your dog needs to be sedated. Don’t worry, the anesthesia is light and is safe.

The vet will start by performing an examination to determine if any teeth need to be removed or repaired. He might even go as far as do an x-ray. After this is done, dental cleaning can now be performed.

First, the teeth are scaled to remove all tarter. This is done using electronic as well as hand equipment. When he finishes doing this, the teeth are then polished to make them smooth and prevent plaque from sticking to the teeth. A fluoride treatment might also be done here. This helps the enamel to be stronger and also prevent plaque from forming again. Should the vet find any diseased teeth, they will be removed.

Some skilled vets can also perform root canal on your dog! The dog will then be put on antibiotics to prevent infection from bacteria.

As you can see, its very important to take good care of your dog’s teeth to keep them healthy. Please do follow the advise of your vet and should you have any other questions, do consult a pet profession

Side Note: As i put up this article i realized i need to also get my teeth checked and cleaned..he he

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