How to brush your pets' teeth.

Brushing a dog or cat's teeth sounds ridiculous to some, but getting into the habit can both allow you to find issues in your pet's mouth earlier and will save you money on dentals in the long run.

Before we begin, a little blurb on why veterinary professionals are against anesthesia free dentals.  Most people are afraid of anesthesia, so these dentals done on awake pets sound way safer.  The problem is that there is no way to clean or examine the teeth below the gumline.  The part of dental disease that is most harmful to pets is below the gumline.  That's where blood vessels mix with bacteria and carry that bacteria from the teeth/mouth to sensitive organs like the heart and kidneys.  Clean looking teeth just hide the real problem.  It makes the owner feel better, but what the pet really needs is a full cleaning and x-rays to fully assess his/her oral health and fix problems before they become bad enough that the pet can no longer hide or compensate for the problem teeth and/or pain.

Okay, sorry, rant over.  Here's how to brush your pet's teeth:

1.)  Get an enzymatic toothpaste, preferably CET or one with the VOHC seal -these have scientific studies to back them up.  Toothpaste comes in many flavors, my dog loves poultry flavor.  They make mint, but most pets don't like it.  The toothpaste has no odor, so don't worry about the smell.

2.)  Get a toothbrush designed for pets (there are many, from finger brushes to double-ended brushes, choose whatever works best for you) or any soft brush designed for adults or children.

3.)  Find a good time when your pet is relaxed or looking for attention/treats and put some toothpaste on your finger.  Allow the pet to lick it off.  Do this once or twice a day for at least a couple days.  The goal here is for the pet to think the toothpaste is just a tasty treat.

4.)  Once your pet is happy to see that toothpaste tube, start putting the toothpaste on the toothbrush and allowing him/her to lick it off.  This will get them used to the way the bristles feel.  If your pet thinks it's weird do this until they no longer make a big deal about the brush.

5.)  As soon as your pet is comfortable with the brush, use it to apply the toothpaste to one canine tooth.  Just transfer the paste to the tooth and let the pet lick it off the tooth.  When that's no big deal you can move on.

6.)  Start brushing just the one canine tooth. Progress to include more teeth as the pet allows.  There is no need to spend 2 minutes brushing as we do, just some simple stimulation at the gumline is good enough.  If you see blood, redness at the gumline, broken teeth, discolored teeth, overgrown gum tissue or anything else that worries you, it's likely worth having a vet take a look.  A full dental will likely be needed at some point whether you brush your pet's teeth regularly or not.  Just like us, regular professional cleanings and exams are still needed, but you may be able to put them off or at least save money by needing fewer (or no) extractions.

NOTE:  It is important to know that the insides of the teeth (all the sides that face the tongue) rarely have tartar or issues, so there is no real need to brush the insides.  Also the top teeth, canines, and front teeth are usually where the most tartar and problems occur, the back teeth on the bottom can be difficult to brush, if you can't do these it isn't a big deal.

There.  Most pets will regard tooth brushing as a somewhat weird treat.  They may not love it, but if you stick with it most will tolerate it.  Let me know how it goes in the comments!