Earlier this week, I went to the dentist. There was nothing wrong – I just booked in for an annual check-up and a cleaning. The lovely young dentist I saw said, “Oh, you’re an American. Americans understand dental care.”
And, while I was flattered, it also got me thinking.
Here in New Zealand there are public service announcements on television with tooth fairies reminding parents they need to brush their kid’s teeth with fluoride toothpaste. We never had anything like that when I was growing up and I don’t think it was needed because I remember that we even had health classes in school when we’d receive little complementary packs of a toothbrush and toothpaste to take home.
But if dental care varies across cultures, it would explain why I still meet many dog owners here in New Zealand who don’t brush their dog’s teeth.
A client demonstrates teeth brushing
Most veterinarians will say that teeth brushing for our dogs is the best thing you can do – before dental diets, drinking water additives and chews – for your dog’s dental health.
Dental care, including teeth brushing, is a good habit for everyone in the family. After I brush my teeth at night, Izzy gets her teeth brushed.
Greyhounds are known for their bad teeth – and yet more than 2 years after I adopted her, I am proud to say that Izzy has yet to need a dental cleaning at the vet. And the vet comments that her teeth are in good condition.
Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand
Sometimes, I come across resources on the internet that just have to be shared. Here’s one of them. It’s a fact sheet by Dr Brett Beckman, a veterinary dentist, about fractured teeth, how to prevent them, and the treatments available.
Greyhounds, it seems, like to sleep with their mouths open. And their owners like to take photos of their hounds showing off their ‘teefs’ – photos that are shared on Facebook groups involving greyhounds (I follow several)…
A sleeping greyhound shows off their front teefs (Photo by Elizabeth Anne Dodd)
So I’ve used these photos as an inspiration. How much do you know about your dog’s teeth?
An upside down sleeping Greyhound, again showing off the front teefs (Photo by Gill Vernon)
The dog has 6 incisors on the upper and lower jaws that are used for grasping.
Of the famous “canine teeth” there are only 2 each on the upper and lower jaws. Their main function is tearing.
There are 8 premolars on the upper and lower jaw and their main function is grinding. There are 4 molars in the upper jaw and 6 on the lower jaw. These teeth also have a grinding function.
The best way to keep your dog’s teeth healthy is to feed a nutritious diet.
I see a lot of dogs in my massage practice who have bad breath and/or other noticeable signs of dental disease. Ask most veterinarians and they’ll tell you that they do a lot of ‘dentals’ during the course of any given week. If your dog requires teeth to be extracted because of infection, cracking, or gum disease, your healthcare bill will quickly increase.
The first line of defense in keeping your dog’s teeth healthy is a good diet of wholesome ingredients. That includes chews and bones. Raw diets excel in this because they use bones as a staple part of the diet but I have also seen dogs with excellent teeth who are fed commercial dog foods – typically supplemented with fresh ingredients – and with bones and chews a regular part of the regime.
Some owners feed a combination of raw and commercial diets; I personally like this balanced approach and it is what I feed my own dog.
But, and here’s the but…bones and chews don’t solve the dental disease problem for a good number of dogs. Why?
Some dogs just aren’t naturally strong chewers; they aren’t motivated by chewing for very long – even on a fresh and meaty bone
Dogs who have been rescued or adopted may already have already experienced damage to their teeth or suffered early in life because of a poor diet or starvation
I believe that some dogs, like people, have a mouth chemistry that pre-disposes them to tartar build-up. Dogs are individuals and we simply can’t rule out that nature deals the bad-teeth card to some dogs
Dogs who have been born with defects such as cleft palates usually have something wrong with their teeth from the outset; bones and chews may be difficult for these dogs
So what’s the next step?
My view is definitely teeth-brushing. We train our children to do this daily. Why would it be any different for a domesticated dog?
[And, with hand on heart, most vets will choose teeth brushing over a special ‘dental diet’ any day.] The issue here is having the patience and persistence to brush teeth effectively. Unfortunately, a lot of owners simply give up because of their dog’s protests and vets then become conditioned to ‘water down’ the advice by saying ‘try it a couple of days per week..’ and ‘feed a dental diet.’
I brush my dog’s teeth daily. Izzy is a retired racing greyhound, a breed known for their bad teeth. By the time Izzy was adopted at age 5 1/2, her teeth were noticeably unstable and worn down from what must have been chewing on the bars of a kennel or some other surface equally as unforgiving. She had teeth extracted as part of her adoption medical visit.
I like this very straightforward video from The Whole Dog Journal on the subject of teeth brushing. The only oversight is that the video doesn’t cover the triple-headed toothbrush design which I prefer. My concern with the long-handled toothbrushes is that it is easy to poke a dog in the mouth with them, particularly if they are fussing with you over getting their teeth brushed in the first place…
A triple-headed dog toothbrush – my choice!
There are other natural solutions to dental care which include the use of homeopathics and herbs. All of these are my choice before a dental diet. Why?
Well here’s the ingredient list off the label of a well-known prescription diet product. Does it sound healthy/wholesome to you?
DoggyMom.com 