Just Another Article about Clean Dog Teeth?...

Nope!

We'll clarify, once and for all, how clean dog teeth can be achieved by brushing, chewing and other safe dog tooth cleaning methods.  Also...

We'll get into the nitty gritty of dog dental care (home examinations, finding the right dentist, anesthesia and more).

Seems most dog teeth health topics are confusing because of all the conflicting opinions (same as dog food)!

Clean Dog Teeth Concerns brought You Here Because...

• Taking your Pooch to the vet for an annual (or semi-annual) dog tooth cleaning is getting old.  You want to learn how to clean dog teeth yourself.

• Fido's teeth need an extra deep scrubbing.  You want to find out if having Fido's teeth cleaned by the vet is safe.   Your dog teeth cleaning routine just isn't doing the job.

• You just brought home your new family addition.  You want to do everything right.

• Perhaps your dog has some other issues with his teeth.  Chipped teeth, red swollen gums, possible dog tooth extraction, etc.

Maybe your Pooch's pearly whites aren't perfect!  You just want to see how other dogs "brush" their teeth...

You Ask: “Where am I Going with This Dog Teeth Stuff?”

My goal is preventing your dog from getting her teeth cleaned by your veterinarian.

• However, there are certain situations when this is the best (and perhaps the only) option... when the pros out weigh the cons.  Sometimes the plaque and tarter build-up has gone too far.  Your doggie chews and dog toothbrush can't keep up.   Or...

Maybe your furry friend has other dog teeth problems that need an experienced vet examination.

Otherwise...

This page is about normal daily dog teeth cleaning maintenance!

I've tried just about everything I could think of for (easily) maintaining good dog teeth health.  The following dog tooth care routine is effective.

Here's Our Plan for Clean Dog Teeth...

It's easy, safe and healthy.  However, I'll be the first to admit my doggie and I do have our days!

This is a very important point:

• My doggie eats raw dog food.  Feeding your pooch a commercial processed dog food diet causes more tarter and plaque build-up than a raw dog diet.  Our teeth cleaning method may not work as well if your dog munches on processed dog food...

Processed food has a tendency to stick to your dog's teeth.  This is a haven for bacteria which leads to bad dog teeth health.  Just be sure to scrub 'em good and your pooch should be fine.

Some of you feel more comfortable feeding pre-made dog food.  Please check out this article my doggie and I wrote about healthy organic dog food brands!

Brush those dog teeth!

It works for us!   Some say it's a waste of time.   I don't agree.  I know wild dogs don't brush their teeth...

But wild dogs aren't domesticated!   So...

• How often?  I brush half my dog's teeth in the morning, the other half after dinner.  If I brush all at one time, it seems too much for her (and me!).   When I finish brushing, I hit those “stubborn” spots one more time with that dog toothbrush.

When I give my doggy extra snacks... such as Nimble's home made birthday cake... I'll brush extra.  It's the healthiest of all dog birthday cake recipes.  But, easy home made dog treats like these and others like yogurt also stick to your dog's teeth.

• Doggie Toothbrush:  My dog is about 11 pounds so I use a little “kiddies” toothbrush... it works just fine!   When it looks worn, I replace it.   Toothbrushes made specifically for brushing dog teeth work as well.

I don't know why Nimble isn't showing off her clean dog teeth... smile Nimble!...

I've tried finger pads and wash cloths for dog tooth cleaning.  They work, but the kiddie toothbrushes are easiest for me to use.  You might like the other dog tooth cleaning methods better.   My first doggie didn't really care what I used.

• Toothpaste:   I use healthy, homemade dog toothpaste.   Most commercial brands are full of contaminants... please stay away from these!  For a while, I didn't use any toothpaste, just a toothbrush.  The homemade dog toothpaste seems to do a little better job and is anti-bacterial.

Tooth oil helps for clean dog teeth!

I use organic, unrefined, unprocessed coconut oil.  Just put a little in a small jar for daily use and leave the rest in a cool, dark place.  This is the best stuff in the world for cleaning dog teeth!  It's Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

My dog loves the taste... and it's healthy!

• When to use:   Apply after brushing teeth.  In our case, we use it twice a day.

• Best way to use the oil:  Put the little jar in a warm (not hot) place out of the sun about an hour before using it.  A pan of warm water works great.  When it becomes liquid, stick your finger into the oil and apply to dog teeth and gums.  Rub into the gum lines!

“I look forward to having this done twice a day and I love the taste... arf!”   Nimble Doggy.  If its not runny then too much gets used up and its harder to apply to those pearly whites!

One final word about applying coconut oil for superb clean dog teeth...

It breaks down bacteria-rich build up on your dogs teeth.   Then, while brushing, this gunk is removed!  You simply can't beat brushing your dog's teeth and applying tooth oil!

Don't Forget Healthy Dog Chews for Clean Dog Teeth!

• Please read about safe dog chews which will enhance your canine's dog teeth health regimen!
  

• Additionally, dog chew bones help clean those canine teeth and are a healthy addition!
  
  

So Many Other Neat Ways to Clean Dog Teeth...

I'm sure many of you have your own method of cleaning dog teeth that works well.  Great! Please share them with us.   Hopefully, you'll save others time, headaches and money.

We're learning about dog teeth cleaning all the time!

In addition...

This page is focused on a simple home routine.   There's so many other areas of dog tooth care that can and should be covered in greater detail.  However...

Just focusing on brushing your dogs teeth is also important for your furry pal. This, in turn, helps your canine enjoy all those wonderful dog foods mother nature provided for her!

Cleaning Dog Teeth Keeps getting Better!...

The Nitty Gritty of Clean Dog Teeth

Ok, you've decided to take your dog to the dentist.   Maybe you already have.  Either way... you want to brush up on good dog dental care and other inside dope.

Great!  We'll do our best to make you feel good about any dog dental health decisions you make for your faithful friend.

Your Dog's Teeth Health is Important... Ask Questions!

“How do I find reliable dog dental care I can trust?  What about my dog's current dentist?

Hey, don't be afraid to ask questions!  I interviewed quite a few veterinarians before we found “the one.”  There's some great dentists for your dog.  Also, some I'll never use again... they shouldn't be allowed to provide dog dental care for our faithful pals.

Here's a picture of "the ones" Nimble and I trust.  We did a lot of look'in to find Nimble's doctors...

Here's the questions we asked.  Anesthesia related questions are further down this page...

• How long have you been in practice?  Is your practice AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited?   Participation is voluntary.  A practice that has chosen to be evaluated by the AAHA is showing commitment to a high level of health care for your pooch.

• Can I accompany my dog at all times?   I won't let the vet take my dog “to the back room” without me.  I understand that some doggie moms and dads get excited during dog tooth veterinary care.  This makes it difficult for the doctor to do their job.  I don't (unless I have a good reason!).

• Are your technicians licensed?   Some states require it.  Other states don't.  If the state doesn't require it, they might still have licensed dog dental care technicians on staff...
  
  What is the level of training and experience for those who are licensed?

• How are the patients monitored overnight?   Is someone there all night or do they stop by periodically?   Is this person a licensed veterinary technician?   I stayed overnight in the hospital with my first dog.

• Does the practice use modern and adequate dog tooth cleaning and other equipment?  Consider blood pressure, PCV centrifuge, pulse oximeter and radiology equipment.  It's best if the practice has all these pieces of equipment.  If not, choose the one that's best equipped for safe dog dental health...

It's beyond the scope of this page to explain the functions of these dog dental health necessities.  It'll take up too much room... Nimble always reminds me to keep it simple and concise!

• It's good (but not absolutely necessary) if there's more than one vet working at the practice.  There are some wonderful solo veterinarians.  However, at times it's nice when two or more dentists can share their expertise.  Two heads are better than one!

Consider feeding raw food to your doggie. It has cleaning action and doesn't stick to your canine's teeth compared to other foods.

Is a Specialist Necessary for Dog Teeth Cleaning and More?

Will the practice refer you to a dog tooth care specialist if your dog needs a heightened level of care?  Referring to a dog tooth health specialist shows that the practice has your canine's health in their best interest.

A person who specializes in dog dental health does nothing but dog dental work, so naturally experience is a big plus.  Highly trained technicians and state of the art dog tooth care equipment is also used.

We're not saying you must take your dog to a specialist... just be aware of your options.

Nimble and I recommend reading the book titled Vet Confidential by Louise Murray.  It explains the ins and outs of veterinary practices.  Also, how to avoid substandard dog teeth health care for your dog is clearly illustrated.

Are Occasional Dental Exams Necessary for Clean Dog Teeth?

Are you feeding your dog raw food (or other healthy chow) correctly?  How about following Nimble's (or another) healthy clean dog teeth maintenance program?  When you check your dog's teeth and gums do they pass inspection?

If you asked us these questions our answers would be yes.  I don't take Nimble in for periodical dog dental care exams.  Her teeth are examined professionally during her yearly physical.

Please do whatever you and your canine feel comfortable with.  I know what to look for and I check Nimble's clean dog teeth daily (bragger...weekly is fine).  That's not to say there isn't something going on I'm not aware of (ie, dog tooth decay, etc.).  Also, a veterinarian is much more experienced.

If you take your dog in for a physical every 6 months to a year, make sure your vet thoroughly inspects your dog's teeth health.

Dog Dental Problems that Require Veterinary Care

Because Nimble and your dog(s) aren't living in their wild environment, good dog dental hygiene is needed.  Many of our dogs are eating processed unhealthy dog food...

Speaking of... check out Nimble's home made dog treats menu.  They're processed, but also safe and healthy.  Please make sure to clean your dog's teeth after eating these doggie treasures. 

Try feeding your pooch strawberries and other fruits... fruit and veggie enzymes really help clean those teeth!  You'll enjoy these pages (loaded with photos!) about doggy veggies and feeding fruit along with vegetables.

Also, safe dog chews aren't on our wild canines' menus.  Furthermore, our dogs weren't taught how to chew dog bones.  However, I'm sure some wild dogs still have issues such as a dog broken tooth, etc...

Dog dental health conditions requiring veterinary examination

 Here's some things to look for...

• Tarter build-up along the gum line that's hard and yellowish-brown.  Be very careful if you try removing it!  I bought a dog tooth scaler years ago and removed most of the tarter from Gidget's teeth (my first dog... this was the tarter the dog bones didn't remove).
  
  I noticed that I removed some enamel.  Also, light scratches are places for dog food particles to collect.  Your vet polishes these away after dog teeth cleaning.

• A dog broken tooth... fractured or cracked.  Discolored dog teeth.  I don't worry about tiny chipping.

• Bad breath.  But, bad diet can cause bad breath also...same as humans.  However, we cover it up with sprays, etc!

• Bleeding gums.  Don't confuse this with getting poked from a safe dog chew or dog toothbrush.  Diseased gums will be swollen, painful and red.

• Abnormalities within the mouth... crooked, missing or misaligned dog teeth.  Also, some type of growth.  Some of these may not require an exam... it's up to you.  For example, if your pooch has a missing tooth and it's not bothering her.. no biggie (for me, anyway).

Doggie symptoms caused by clean dog teeth negligence

If Nimble displayed any of the following symptoms, I would take notice...

• Her chewing or eating habits have changed.

• She's pawing at her face or mouth.  Also, Nimble paws at her face when she's trying to tell me something!

• Depression... normally, she's happy go lucky!

• Drooling excessively.  Nimble doesn't drool but some other dogs do.

There may be other ways your dog might display discomfort caused by dog teeth problems.

Uh oh... your pooch needs more than dog teeth cleaning!

You just took your dog in for her yearly exam or dog teeth cleaning.  Unfortunately, you found out that your furry companion has other dog teeth issues.  What do you do now?

Nimble waiting for her check-up... perfect results again!...

Before you proceed, decide if you are comfortable with your dog's prognosis.  If you feel that a second opinion is needed, get one.  I did this with Gidget, my first dog.

Here's a good example (this isn't the only!).  Gidget was diagnosed with kidney disease.  After researching and getting another opinion (from a holistic vet this time), her kidneys were fine.  The reason?...

Dogs (mine) that eat barf dog food (raw meaty bones) have blood test results indicative of kidney disease.  These results are due to a raw meat dog food diet and are perfectly normal!

Anesthesia and healthy clean dog teeth

If you decide to proceed with your dog's dental work, anesthesia might be required.  I'd ask these questions first...

• Will a trained technician monitor my companion while the dentist works on my dog's teeth?  It's difficult to focus on patient monitoring while conducting surgical procedures/cleaning dog teeth at the same time.

• What types of modern gas anesthetics are being used?  Avoid practices that use halothane.

• Prior to anesthetic dental work, do patients have an intravenous catheter put in place?  It's used to quickly deliver potentially life saving fluids during anesthesia should a crisis arrive.

• Will my dog be intubated during anesthesia?  During surgery/dental work, the tube delivers oxygen to your dog.  If respiratory or cardiac arrest occur, the tube can be used for quick resuscitation.  Furthermore, the tube prevents blood, regurgitated food or saliva from entering the trachea or lungs.

• Are oxygen levels, heart rhythm and blood pressure measured continuously during procedures?  Ask your dog's doctor if this is done for every patient or just certain cases.

Proper care for your dog during veterinary procedures might cost more.  Nimble gets excellant care from her doggy doctor.  If you want healthy, clean dog teeth, you get what you pay for!

Click here to read about anesthesia-free dog teeth cleaning.

Clean Dog Teeth are So Important!

Our plan is helping you maintain the best possible dog dental hygiene for your #1 companion.  You might not agree with everything we say and do.  Maybe you want to add a twist to Nimble's “How to Clean dog Teeth” routine including dentist veterinary protocols.  That's fine...

As long as your dog receives the best dog dental health care.  Keep it fun.  Stay out of the doctor's office as much as possible... spend that time together instead.

Our dog feeding schedule page will give you some good ideas... just tap here. 

“Don't sweat the small stuff... arf!”  Nimble.

Click here to check out Nimble's cleaning dog teeth page... it was her idea!  She wanted to improve on our dog teeth cleaning procedure at the top of this page.  Nimble wanted more details with tons of photos (of her of course)!

Our website is a work in progress!  We'd love it (and so would your dog) if you returned regularly to check out all our new articles.  We can't wait to expand on the topics above! 

Also, we'll include our highly recommended products for you and your dog to choose from... only those we have used or would use ourselves.  Also...

Be sure to check out Scott & Nimble's News Flash for monthly helpful tips and other neat stuff!

Like this Page?

Nimble & I always reply to our visitors' comments below asap!

But... all of you who commented before April 14th, 2023 vanished and Facebook can't fix this so...

I'm "re-replying" (arf!).  All comments from this moment forward will be posted forever (we love hearing from you). 

Scott & Nimble.

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