{"id":2714,"date":"2020-05-12T09:29:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-12T13:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/?p=2714"},"modified":"2022-02-11T10:15:59","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T15:15:59","slug":"brushing-your-dogs-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/?p=2714","title":{"rendered":"Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Lorraine Hiscox DVM FAVD Dip. AVDC; Jan Bellows, DVM, Dipl. AVDC, ABVP<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWhy\nshould I brush my dog’s teeth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\nIt\nis estimated that over 2\/3 of dogs over the age of three have\nperiodontal\ndisease<\/strong>,\nan inflammation or infection of the tissues surrounding the teeth.\nPeriodontal disease starts as gingivitis\n<\/strong>caused\nby plaque<\/strong> and\noften progresses to involve the bony tooth sockets. Left untreated,\nperiodontal disease can lead to painful tooth loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWhen\nshould I brush my dog’s teeth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\nLike\nus, it is ideal to brush your dog’s teeth at least twice daily. For\nmany dogs, once brushing becomes a part of their daily routine they\nwill begin to expect and enjoy it. Brushing three times a week is the\nminimum recommendation to help remove plaque and prevent tartar\naccumulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIt\nis best to teach your dog to accept tooth brushing while he is still\na puppy. If you have an older dog, the training process may take a\nlittle longer, but it is still well worth the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWhat\nsteps do I need to follow to teach my dog to accept tooth brushing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\nIn\norder to be successful at brushing your dog’s teeth, you must make it\na positive experience for both of you. Make the experience positive\nby praising your dog throughout the whole procedure, with reassurance\nthrough every step. For best results, follow these steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • \n\tChoose\n\ta quiet time and place to begin.\n<\/li>
  • \n\tIf\n\tyour dog is small enough, hold your dog securely in your lap with\n\this head facing away from you. If your dog is larger, you should sit\n\ton a chair and have your dog sit beside you so that you can\n\tcomfortably handle his mouth and teeth.\n<\/li>
  • \n\tStart\n\tby rubbing your finger or a soft cloth over the outer surfaces of\n\tyour dog’s teeth, using a back-and-forth motion \u2013 focusing on the\n\tarea where the gum touches the tooth surface. Be careful to stay on\n\tthe outside surfaces of the teeth to avoid being accidentally\n\tbitten. For the first few lessons, it is a good idea to rub the\n\tcloth along only a few teeth rather than the whole mouth, especially\n\tif your pet is unsure or nervous about the process.\n<\/li>
  • \n\tOnce\n\tyour dog is comfortable with you rubbing his teeth, let him taste a\n\tlittle bit of pet toothpaste from your finger. Do not use human\n\ttoothpaste \u2013 it is not formulated to be swallowed.\n<\/li>
  • \n\tOnce\n\tyour dog has accepted the taste of pet toothpaste, apply a small\n\tamount to the cloth and rub it over the teeth.\n<\/li>
  • \n\tOnce\n\tyour dog is completely used to you rubbing his teeth with a cloth,\n\tit\u2019s time to start using a toothbrush.\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \nWhat\ntype of toothbrush should I use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    \nCommercial\ntoothbrushes are available that are specifically designed for use in\ndogs. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • \n\tbrushes\n\twith angled handles,\n\t<\/li>
    • \n\tbrushes\n\twith multiple heads (so that you can simultaneously brush the\n\tinside, outside, and top surfaces of the tooth),\n\t<\/li>
    • \n\tsmall\n\tbrushes that fit comfortably in your hand, and\n\t<\/li>
    • \n\tfinger\n\ttoothbrushes (designed to fit over the tip of your finger).\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      \nFor\nsome dogs, it is acceptable to use a very soft toothbrush designed\nfor use in human babies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nThe\ntype of toothbrush you use depends a little on the size of your dog\nand a little on your own dexterity. Many pet owners find it easier to\nuse a finger brush, especially when just beginning to brush their\ndog’s teeth. Check with your veterinarian if you are uncertain of\nwhich brush to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nRegardless\nof the type of toothbrush you use, it is important to be gentle and\ngo slowly as it is easy to accidentally poke the tip of the\ntoothbrush against the gums and cause some irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nIs\nit okay to use human toothpaste?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nNo.\nHuman toothpastes contain ingredients that should not be swallowed.\nIf it is swallowed, it can cause an upset stomach or digestive\ndisturbances. Some human toothpastes contain high levels of sodium\nwhich may even make your pet ill, while others may contain xylitol\nwhich is toxic for dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nMy\nfriend recommended that I use baking soda. Is this okay?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nNo.\nBaking soda has a high alkaline content and, if swallowed, it can\nupset the acid balance in the stomach and digestive tract. In\naddition, baking soda does not taste good which may cause your dog to\nbe uncooperative when you try to brush his teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nWhy\nis pet toothpaste recommended?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nPet\ntoothpaste is available in a number of different flavors that are\nappetizing to dogs, including poultry, beef, malt and mint. By using\na product that tastes good, your dog will be more likely to enjoy the\nwhole experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nExactly\nhow should I brush my dog’s teeth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nApply\na small amount of toothpaste to the toothbrush. Gently raise your\ndog’s lips on one side of his mouth. You can either do this by\npushing up on the lip with the index finger of your free hand (as\nshown in the image) or by placing your free hand over your dog’s head\nwith your thumb and index finger on opposite sides of your dog’s\nupper jaw to lift his lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nTo\nbrush the lower teeth, you will need to open your dog’s mouth a\nlittle. This can be done by gently tilting your dog’s head backward\nwhile holding onto his or her upper jaw with the thumb and index\nfinger of your free hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nAt\nfirst, concentrate on brushing the large cheek teeth and the canine\nteeth, the teeth where plaque and tartar accumulate most quickly.\nGradually work up to brushing all of the teeth (this will probably\ntake several days or weeks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nDo\nnot worry about brushing the tips or insides of the teeth unless your\ndog is very cooperative. Most periodontal damage occur on the outer\nsurfaces of the teeth and this is where you should direct your\nefforts. In addition, the dog’s tongue tends to remove a lot of the\nplaque from the inner surfaces of the teeth, reducing the need for\nbrushing these surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nHow\nlong should I spend brushing my dog’s teeth?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nTry\nto brush for approximately 30 seconds per side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nWhat\nelse can I do to maintain my dog’s dental health?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nIt\nis important to maintain your dog\u2019s dental health. Plaque is an\naccumulation of bacteria and is a sticky substance that begins to\naccumulate on the teeth within hours after a meal or even after a\nprofessional tooth cleaning. Within a day, plaque combines with\nminerals that are present in the saliva to become tartar, also known\nas calculus. A list of dental products and diets that have been\naccepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Counsel can be found at\nvohc.org. These accepted products have been shown to decrease the\naccumulation of plaque and\/or tartar by at least 20%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \nIs\nthere anything else I should know?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      \nYes.\nA dog’s mouth contains lots of bacteria, if possible, wear gloves\nwhile brushing your dog\u2019s teeth. If this limits your ability to\neffectively brush his teeth, then be sure to thoroughly wash your\nhands with soap and water after you are finished. Also, rinse the\ntoothbrush thoroughly before putting it away. Replace the toothbrush\nevery three months and if you have several dogs, use a different\ntoothbrush for each of the
      \n
      \n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      By Lorraine Hiscox DVM FAVD Dip. AVDC; Jan Bellows, DVM, Dipl. AVDC, ABVP Why should I brush my dog’s teeth?[…]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[108],"tags":[218,193,217,214,123,216,201,202,200,213,91,211,18,34,54,6,5,215,206,209,205,203,178,195,204,208,210,207,212,196,131,198,79,194,8,99],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2715,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2714\/revisions\/2715"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smokymountaindoodles.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}