How To Maintain Dental Health In Dogs

Oral health of dogs is often overlooked by pet parents which results in bad breath, Gingivitis or tartar formation. These dental diseases, however, don’t happen in a day. It turns out that ignorance or unawareness of pet parents leads to such issues over time. So, it is better to take actions before it gets too bad. Here is how you must maintain your dog’s teeth and prevent the formation of oral cavities.

Dogs Need Their First Cleaning Session When They Are 3-5 Years Old  

If you have a dog who is 3-5 years of age, ensure that their oral cleaning sessions are regular. Cleaning of teeth every 3-4 months is necessary to avoid build-up of plaque. Well, if you don’t know – plaque is a bacterial film that builds up if the teeth are not brushed regularly. This plaque turns into a harder film called tartar that leads to oral diseases like Gingivitis and inflamed gum line. Thus, ensure you develop the habit of cleaning your dog’s teeth routinely.

Dogs Must Be Anesthetized Before Professional Cleaning 

Dogs must be anesthetized before the cleaning session at the vet. This is because it allows the vet to clean the gum line and remove the tartar completely through ultrasonic scaling process which is not reachable while the pet is awake. Moreover, if you want to get your dog’s teeth polished, you have to make him sleep because if the pet is awake, he might inhale the debris chipped off during the process.

Avoid Chewy Treats and Food That Stick To Gums or Are Too Brittle 

Pet parents often don’t pay attention while buying stuff for their furry kids. They always lean more towards buying their pet’s favorite treats while shopping. However, you must stop this practice. Treats or foods that are sticky tend to deposit in the gumline as well as teeth cavities. This further exacerbates any teeth or oral condition which is already present.  Moreover, it is often difficult to remove those depositions on your own if you have been giving such food or chewy items since long.  You must also avoid giving brittle bones to your dogs because those bones often break into shards and can lead to tooth & gum injuries and when ingested mistakenly, it can damage the internal organs. Thus, whenever you are buying any eating items whether online or from the local store, you must consult your vet or read the label carefully. Besides, most of the products that lure you into buying flavourful items for your furry kid are laden with sugar and thus do more harm than good. So, be aware and choose the right stuff. If you have any dilemma, consulting your vet would be the best option.

Use the Correct Products for Oral Hygiene Maintenance   

It is extremely necessary to select the correct toothbrush and toothpaste for your dog or cat. It is often seen that pet parents use human-grade toothpaste to clean their pet’s teeth. Well, you must be apprised that human-grade toothpaste has high fluorine content and thus can be very detrimental to their pet’s teeth. It can actually degrade their teeth when used quite often. So, refrain yourself from using toothpaste which is not meant for animal use. Moreover, it is extremely important to use the correct toothbrush for cleaning. A finger brush is generally the most recommended toothbrush to clean pet’s teeth as it allows you to clean thoroughly. For cleaning the farthermost teeth, you can also opt for a long handle brush which reaches till the end and removes debris from every nook and corner of the pet’s mouth.

[Read] 11 Leading Dental Facts of Dogs

As we know, the mouth is the most important route to the health of your pet, therefore, it must be kept immaculately clean. Just remember, if there are bacteria in the mouth, it will also travel to his entire body which will, in turn, lead to other more fatal diseases of the internal organs. Thus, be informed, be smart about what you feed your dog and do not ever skip checking your dog’s mouth while you examine him.