Taking care of your dogs’ teeth is very important. When a dog has bacteria from tarter and plaque in their mouth, it can cause additional health problems and teeth should be kept as clean as possible. There are many organic toothpaste and toothbrushes on the market. Sometimes brushing your dogs’ teeth is not enough and there is yellow colored tarter or plague on their teeth. Local drugs stores sell Scalers and Scrapers that work great.
Some people avoid taking their dog in to get their teeth cleaned because the dog might have to be put under anesthesia which can have a risk associated with that.
It is a good consideration to learn how to clean tarter and plaque off your dogs’ teeth with a scale, which you can buy from on-line shopping sites or at local drug stores. They do sell a pet teeth scaler. They usually come with a pick and scale; the scale is the tool that is best to scrape the tarter off.
If you start very slow with your dog, just touching your dogs’ teeth with the instruments and saying, ‘clean your teeth’ and then after you touch and gently touch your dog’s teeth a bit with it, they will slowly learn. The scale should be sterilized every time before using it and any plaque or tarter should be carefully removed from the mouth quickly, so the dog doesn’t swallow or chew it. You can use a cotton swab to help catch all the debris. It always helps to give them a treat after a teeth cleaning. When using the scale, it is best wear magnifying glasses so you can see better and just try to clean the areas you can see and don’t try to get into deep areas. The deeper cleanings need to be done by your veterinary during a veterinary dental treatment. This will allow you to keep your dog’s teeth clean without the risk of anesthesia. Your dog should eventually feel more comfortable letting you gently clean the tarter or plaque off and should get used to it. Once your dog gets comfortable you may be able to do it while they are sitting or lying down, whatever they are comfortable with.
Some veterinarians offer a variety of different options on dental cleanings for your dog, so discuss that with them. There might also be veterinarians in your area that specialize in dental cleanings and may have a variable of offerings as well.
It is just like us as humans, we clean our teeth ourselves on a regular basis but when we need the deeper cleanings, we go to the dentist. With dogs, since many times they must be under some form of anesthesia for the deeper cleanings, it is good practice to clean tarter and plaque from your dogs’ teeth until you can do the deeper veterinarian dental cleanings and polish as needed.
Please review this with your veterinarian and your veterinarian can help you decide the best way to keep your dog’s plaque and tarter off your dogs’ teeth so they can have a healthy mouth.