Complete guide to natural dental care for dogs

I am a big advocate of ultrasonic toothbrushes because they do a far better job than a regular manual toothbrush. I like the Phillips Ultrasonic tooth brush. It is as easy as swapping the brush heads between brushing your dog’s and your own teeth.

Personally, I am not in favor of pricey and sticky toothpaste because the ingredient list is often unclear and questionable at best. Generally, I prefer a small amount of coconut oil with the right toothbrush, which will do wonders. It is true that this does not have the abrasive properties of human toothpaste, but it seems to work well.

Coconut oil is a clear, safe, and side-effect-free winner!

This depends on the nature of your dog’s teeth and the body chemistry. Some dogs have a greater tendency to build up tartar. Others have nice and clean teeth for years. Ideally, you should brush your dog’s teeth daily; however, tartar- and plaque-free teeth are the ultimate measures of whether the frequency of toothbrushing is enough.

I suggest that you make it an evening routine before you brush your teeth and take at least two minutes to finish.

It may surprise you, but there is one main contraindication to toothbrushing. People often attempt to brush off mineralized tartar buildup, which is not possible. It is like trying to scrub a caked-up frying pan with a soft cloth. Brushing teeth with a layer of tartar increases the chances of bacterial spread in the bloodstream, which can lead to kidney and heart valve damage.

IMPORTANT:

If your dog has tartar buildup, you need to see your veterinarian to have your dog’s teeth scaled and cleaned, in most cases under anesthesia. You will learn in the following chapters when anesthesia is necessary and when it may not be. In any case, do not attempt to brush tartar off.

The answer is yes and no. 

In young dogs, tartar builds up less and bones may be all you need to do, with the exception of canines and incisors that need to be brushed. 

Once again, if you see tartar build up on canines, have them scaled or learn how to scrape tartar yourself. However, it requires proper skills and practice.

Check your dog’s teeth regularly to see if what you do is sufficient or not. 

Mild build-up may be eliminated, but keep in mind that, although gum pockets and tartar accumulation under the gum line are common, a proper dental examination by your veterinarian should still be done.

Generally, I suggest that you feed bones twice or three times a week maximum. Giving bones more frequently leads to too much strain on the digestive tract. Giving bones less frequently will likely lead to tartar build up. 

The size of bones greatly depends on the size of your dog. Here are some general guidelines.

1. Bones must always be raw! Do not feed cooked or smoked bones as they are indigestible and may cause intestinal blockage. 
2. The right dental bones should be crunchy when chewed. Bones that are too soft will not provide sufficient scaling effect.
3. Small dogs (all the way down to Chihuahuas) do well on raw chicken thighs or chicken wings.
4. Medium and large dogs should get bones such as lamb shanks or legs, lamb necks, and rib bones (cut into medium size pieces).

The key is to decide if your dog needs to be put under anesthesia or not. Anesthesia is generally very safe. In fact, in 30 years of being a veterinarian, I have (touch wood) not lost a single dog under anesthesia. I also believe that anesthesia should be done only when absolutely necessary and that some veterinary practices put dogs under unnecessarily. 

As it was in Skai’s case, I never needed to put him under because I maintained his teeth well. However, if your dog has moderate to severe build up, there is tartar below the gum line, or teeth are loose or fractured, anesthesia is necessary.

Talking to my clients made me realize that making the right choice for my dog may be easy, because I am a vet, but generally, it is difficult because there is so much conflicting information out there.

WHEN YOU ARE CHOOSING A VET, ENSURE THE FOLLOWING:

• They have proper dental equipment and facilities.
• Pre-anesthesia blood work is done to detect any health problems that could compromise your dog’s safety.
• The facility has certified animal health technologists (nurses) who monitor the patient. I have seen many clinics having patients monitored by poorly trained staff to save money.
• Your dog gets discharged on the day of the procedure or that someone is staying at the facility to monitor your dog instead of leaving it alone. In such cases, you should insist that you take your dog home.

Some dog lovers choose a board-certified veterinary dentist, which is usually more costly. This is necessary for some more severe problems or dental procedures. I suggest that you check with your vet if she or he feels comfortable doing the procedure or prefers to refer someone.

When your dog is under, it is much easier to examine the teeth and probe around for fractures, pockets, abscesses, or tumors.

Generally, I assess the pros and cons of removing or leaving infected or loose teeth, and you will need to make the decision when your veterinarian calls you usually during the procedure. Usually, I prefer to save a tooth of major importance and remove less important teeth that have deep pockets, are loose, or are abscessed.

If your dog has severe tartar buildup and gum disease, it may be necessary to use a short course of antibiotics for five to seven days to prevent a bacterial infection from spreading, especially in the heart and kidneys.

In such cases, I suggest using dairy-free probiotics made specifically for dogs to replenish your dog’s intestinal flora. 

To make your dog stronger and better prepared for the procedure, I suggest you put your dog on essential supplements for optimal organ and cell function.

They are relatively common in dogs, and there is a direct correlation between your dog’s oral health, inflammation, and the incidence of oral tumors. It is beyond the scope of this article to dive into the topics of oral tumors in depth, but it is important to know that healthy teeth decrease their incidence.

Many dogs, especially short-nosed breeds, such as boxers, pit bulls, bulldogs, and similar, have a higher propensity to benign excessive gum growth called epulis. They are usually treated to remove the excessive tissue.

Most veterinary practices use pain control, such as meloxicam (Metacam) and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). I have seen these drugs repeatedly causing side effects, such as kidney failure, in middle-aged and senior dogs. Therefore, I prefer using either homeopathic remedies or a short course of opioids in place of NSAIDs.

In fact, when I had my two wisdom teeth removed, I tested homeopathic remedies on myself and was very happy with my comfort level.

The protocol I use is usually:

Arnica 1M – 1 dose every 2-4 hours for one day, then start Chamomilla 200C once a day for 5-7 days. (These homeopathic remedies can be purchased at helios.co.uk.)

Generally, I suggest you discuss other forms of pain control with your veterinarian and consider alternatives. There is also an increased interest in hemp-derived CBD oil, which is showing some anti-inflammatory properties.

In my opinion, trying to scale major tartar off infected teeth will always result in an incomplete job. There is no dog I know that would allow major cleaning under the gum line. It is simply too uncomfortable; plus, the risk of spreading infection is greater when the procedure is done.

Choosing the right canine dental hygienist can be tricky for several reasons. Some are well trained and knowledgeable, but I have also seen people who have insufficient education or skills cause damage or do an incomplete cleaning.

I have also seen some people handling dogs roughly, perhaps just because most dogs are not willing to put up with dental scaling. This is why I emphasize to start with your dog’s dental care early to get him accustomed to handling. 

Some people mistakenly believe crunchy treats or even kibble will help clean teeth. There are several reasons why this does not work.

Most treats are carbohydrate-based, and carbs are prime food for tartar-building oral bacteria.

Dental treats are processed food in general and I have seen some of the major brands containing carcinogenic preservatives and chemicals. (I’m not listing any particular brands as I have other more important work than dealing with pet food companies’ lawyers.)

I have yet to see a dental treat that would work.

As to rawhide, I never recommend it. There is a reason why it can sit in store containers for months without rotting or going moldy. Most of them are chemically preserved. As to the dental cleaning effect, rawhide will not replace any of the viable dental care techniques I mentioned in this article.

The market is full of ads for dental cleaning products and sprays. They claim miraculous results, but I have never seen a dog that would go from tartar to low or no tartar when my clients used them.

This is not an easy question to be answered.

The best I can do here is to say that any large tooth should be saved if possible and small teeth can be removed. I see many people wondering if they could just leave their dog’s tooth fracture and if their dog is in discomfort.

Personally, I would never want to walk around with a broken tooth. Dogs teeth hurt as much as ours, and a proper exam and assessment are needed. 

As to root canals, it is a divisive issue.  I have seen them work well especially when it comes to saving larger teeth.  Saving a tooth also saves the opposing teeth because if one tooth is extracted, the opposing one usually builds up much tartar and becomes infected too.

If your dog loses a tooth, you will need to pay extra care to the opposing one. If you get a root canal done, make sure it is checked in 6–12 months after the procedure to make sure that it didn’t fail and that there is no infection.

Just the other day, my friend asked me if it was ok to leave her senior dog’s teeth as they are, even with a large amount of tartar. Sometimes, this is a difficult question to answer.

Things can go wrong in a senior dog, but when you do your checks and balances, looking after your dog’s teeth is usually better than neglecting them.  Of course, you and your vet need to have a conversation about the pros and cons.

Generally, it is very important to avoid NSAIDs to prevent kidney and liver damage. In reality, the side effects of these drugs are, in fact, labeled as “side effects,” so you have to take risks seriously.

If your dog is in discomfort or has an abscessed or fractured tooth, I personally lean toward having things done because this is what would be done in humans, too. Suffering and pain are real, and they decrease the quality of life significantly.

And, if in the unlikely event of an untoward incident during the procedure, at least, you would be consoled in knowing that you had done the best that you could.

At first, I was not sure if I should have this in the article, but some people asked. Personally, I would recommend braces or dental crowns only if your dog’s problem interferes with your dog’s quality of life.

However, this does not mean that we should not pay attention to these issues. Dental misalignments are much more common in purebred dogs, and I hope that responsible breeders take the issue seriously.

My general experience is that most people find it difficult to scale their dogs’ teeth. They may be too permissive with handling, and their dogs soon learn that it is OK to wiggle out. Dental scaling is also a rather specific and specialized task that requires professional skills.

If you are one of these people, congratulations! Otherwise, I suggest you seek help from a professional.