The Importance of Helping Your Dog To Get In a Good Oral Hygiene Routine

November 16, 2008 by Dog Service Network
Filed under Health

Just like people, dogs are prone to developing dental /gum disease. This is why it’s important for you to brush your dog’s teeth on a regular basis. It’s recommended that you brush your dog’s teeth at least once a day, because if the plaque is not removed, it will turn into tartar.

Brushing your dog’s teeth is really not as difficult as it may seem. Begin by buying your dog a soft bristle toothbrush, it could even be one designed for a human to use, and a tube of dog toothpaste (Note: the toothpaste used must be designed for dogs specifically – any other kind can cause them to vomit). Then follow this technique:

Wet the toothbrush and add a small amount of toothpaste.
Brush the outer surfaces of the upper canine teeth (fangs) in a circular motion around the gumlines.
Next, in a circular motion also, do the upper and fourth premolars (these are the teeth all the way in the back of your dog’s mouth.
- There is no need to pull your dog’s lips all the way back for you to reach their teeth. Instead, picture a line that runs from your dog’s eye down to his/her mouth. Where the line meets the mouth, this is where their premolar is.
- Lift your dog’s lip up a little to get a sense of where their biggest triangular tooth is and then release the lip.
- Where you saw the premolar, gently slide the brush along the inside of the mouth until the head of the brush is aligned with your dog’s eye and again, brush in a circular motion along the gum line for about 5 seconds.
- Repeat this process for the upper fourth molars on the other side of your dog’s mouth.

When you first start brushing your dog’s teeth, don’t be alarmed if you see blood on the toothbrush. If this is the case, try brushing with less pressure, but don’t stop brushing your dog’s teeth – your efforts will eventually lead to your dog having healthier gums.

Though brushing your dog’s teeth is important, there are times you should not try this such as:

If your dog is likely to bite you
Or if your dog has a lot of tartar. In this case, a simple brushing will not help to remove the tartar, and it can be uncomfortable if your dog’s gums are irritated.

If your dog’s teeth look off, meet with your vet to schedule a teeth cleaning, before trying to do this at home yourself.

Source: “The Doctor’s In”, Modern Dog