Dental and oral hygiene and maintenance in dogs are crucial for their overall health and well-being. This important aspect of pet ownership and responsibility is often overlooked, until there is an obvious problem with their teeth or gums, the veterinarian points out an issue. If you are unsure how to take care of your dog’s oral health, then do not worry, you are not the only one!
Read further to find out how you can help maintain healthy gums and teeth in your beloved canine companion!
The Importance of Dog Dental Care
Having healthy teeth is the fundamental root of the body’s overall condition. If your dog’s oral hygiene is poor, then it is likely that they will eventually suffer systemically as well. Many canines eventually develop issues with heart, kidney, or liver disease from the build-up of harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Preventative Dental Care
Thankfully, there are many different toothbrushes, toys and treats that are designed for the specific purpose of debriding plaque and keeping gums and teeth healthy. Feeding a healthy diet like Health Extension dry dog food will also help keep your dogs’ teeth and gums healthy. Health Extension also provides supplements and vitamins that support oral health for your pup.
Teeth Brushing
Brushing your dog’s teeth every day is a straightforward way to maintain teeth that are already healthy. If your dog already has a significant amount of solid tartar as well as decay and gingival recession, then it may be a little too late for this method to be effective. However, after a good cleaning at the vet, you can always try to use this to maintain their new clean pearly whites.
The key to brushing your dog’s teeth is to start young so that they get familiar to the process and to address tartar and tooth decay BEFORE it becomes a problem. But do not be discouraged from trying this method when they are older. Positive reinforcement can go a long way to teach an old dog new tricks.
Dental Toys and Treats
Finding a daily dental treat your dog loves or a toy that helps scrub away sticky plaque can be an easy and low-maintenance way of incorporating an oral hygiene routine. These methods are a fun option for those of us that find it impossible to brush our dog’s teeth as well. Let us face it, some dogs just do not like having their teeth brushed.
Yearly Dental Cleanings
Veterinary professionals recommend you have your dog’s teeth cleaned at least once a year. This procedure, done in a pet hospital, by either a registered or licensed veterinary technician or the veterinarian themselves.
At that time, the vet will clean the teeth with a high-powered scaler and checked for any abnormalities. With your permission, the veterinarian will extract any teeth that have become decayed and deemed unhealthy. The technician may also polish the remaining teeth with a coarse paste and apply a fluoride treatment.
Best case scenario, your dog does not need any teeth removed and they leave the vet with a nice, sparkly smile and a clean bill of health!
Keeping Our Dogs Healthier for Longer with Better Oral Hygiene
Thankfully, pet owners have taken to performing more routine maintenance and preventative care on their dogs in the last 20 years. That means more dental health awareness! By understanding the importance of oral health in dogs, more are having annual teeth cleanings, which results in more dogs living longer and happier lives!
