What are the signs of dental trouble in dogs?

Bad breath, excessive drooling, loose teeth, inflamed or bleeding gums, yellow or brown stains along the gum line, lack of appetite from sore or loose teeth, and sometimes a change in your dog's whole demeanour if the pain is acute. A vet check is the first step if you see any of these.

What actually is plaque?

Plaque is the invisible, soft deposit of bacteria and food particles that accumulates on the teeth and gums. Left untreated it hardens, yellows, then turns brown — at which stage it's called tartar. Tartar then provides a surface for more plaque to form on, and infection and gum disease follow.

Can diet prevent plaque?

Diet plays a large role. Dogs fed mainly on soft foods build up more plaque and tartar than those given hard, crunchy foods or bones. The most natural way to maintain a healthy mouth is supervised chewing on raw bones — raw is safer than cooked, which can splinter. Some dogs are also genetically more prone to plaque because of the type of saliva they produce.

What actually prevents plaque?

Brushing. Nothing else comes close, because plaque is a soft film that has to be physically disrupted before it mineralises — which it starts doing within about 48–72 hours. Diet and chewing help, and supplements and water additives can play a supporting role, but a brush along the gum line is the only thing that removes plaque where dental disease actually begins. We stock the Wag & Bright range for exactly this: Puppy Polish toothpaste with a finger brush or the mini eco toothbrush.

Can I use my own toothpaste on my dog?

No. Many human toothpastes contain xylitol, which is severely toxic to dogs — it triggers a rapid insulin release that can drop blood sugar dangerously within about 30 minutes, and larger doses can cause liver failure. Human toothpaste also relies on you spitting it out, and dogs swallow everything. Use a toothpaste formulated for dogs, such as Puppy Polish, which is explicitly xylitol-free and fluoride-free.

Looking After Your Dog's Teeth and Gums

Name: Dermagic Europe
Address: Eurobase House, 312 Cork Rd, IDA Industrial Estate, Waterford, X91 EH5N, IE
Telephone: +44 7425 388643

February 13, 2014 · Care Guides, Dog Dental Health

Dog dental health basics — the signs of trouble, what plaque actually is, why it matters, and what genuinely prevents it.

Dental health gets forgotten in the swirl of more obvious skin and coat problems — but bad breath, plaque and gum disease are among the most common medical complaints in dogs. Here’s how to spot trouble early and a practical product that helps.

Why it matters

We’re aware we need to see a dentist regularly — and yet our pets’ teeth often get less consideration than our own. Tooth and gum disease is one of the most common medical problems in modern dogs, and dental treatment is one of the most common procedures carried out in veterinary surgeries. It often involves removal of plaque and tartar, sometimes under general anaesthetic.

A healthy mouth is often a sign of good overall health, and vice versa. Bad breath, sore gums and fragile teeth can be the visible end of a deeper problem.

Signs of tooth and gum disease

Watch for:

Bad breath that lingers
Excessive drooling
Loose teeth
Yellow or brown stains, especially around the gum line
Swollen or bleeding gums
Lack of appetite from sore or loose teeth
A change in mood or demeanour if the pain is acute

“Dog breath” is so accepted as a phrase that we forget many dogs suffer genuine bad breath as a symptom — sometimes of a serious oral problem. Get your dog checked by a vet first. If nothing serious turns up, you can move on to a home remedy.

What plaque actually is

Plaque is the invisible, soft deposit of bacteria and food particles that builds up on the teeth and gums. Left alone, plaque hardens, turning yellow then eventually brown — at which point it’s known as tartar. The bacteria associated with plaque inflame the gums, eventually damaging the tissue that holds the tooth sockets in the jaw. And tartar provides an ideal surface for more plaque to form. The cycle continues.

Can it be prevented?

To a large degree, yes. Diet matters: dogs fed mainly on soft foods build up more plaque and tartar than those given hard, crunchy foods or bones. The most natural way for a dog to maintain a healthy mouth is by chewing on raw bones, ideally under supervision. The chewing action cleans the teeth and massages the gums simultaneously. Raw bones are safer than cooked ones — cooked bones are more likely to splinter.

But the single most effective thing is brushing. Plaque is a soft film, and it has to be physically removed before it hardens — diet and chewing help, but nothing reaches the gum line the way a brush does. Most dogs will accept it if they’re introduced to it gradually rather than ambushed with it, and that introduction is a matter of days, not weeks.

What we stock for it

The range we carry for daily dental care is Wag & Bright.

Start here Puppy Polish Toothpaste View Puppy Polish

Puppy Polish is a natural dog toothpaste built on baking soda, coconut oil and stevia, with a small amount of organic tea tree oil for its antibacterial action on plaque and gums. It’s explicitly free from xylitol, fluoride, triclosan, parabens, artificial colours, gluten and heavy metals, every batch is third-party tested, and it’s safe for dogs of any age.

The applicator matters as much as the paste. The silicone finger brush is where nervous dogs and puppies should start — you keep far more control, and it feels less alien than a handle arriving in the mouth. The mini eco toothbrush is the one to graduate to, because its bristles reach the gum line and the back molars, which is where periodontal disease actually begins.

For the full range, the ingredient breakdown, and a seven-day plan for introducing a brush to a dog that has never had one, see Wag & Bright dog dental care.

A note on what brushing can’t do

Brushing removes soft plaque and stops it hardening. Once plaque has already mineralised into tartar — the hard yellow-brown deposit welded to the tooth — only a vet can remove it, usually by scaling under anaesthetic. If you can already see brown deposits, or the gums are red or bleeding, get that seen before starting a home routine. Brushing from then on protects what’s left; it won’t lift what’s already there.

For specific guidance on your dog’s dental routine email customerservice@dermagic.eu or call +44 7425 388643.

Frequently asked questions

What are the signs of dental trouble in dogs?: Bad breath, excessive drooling, loose teeth, inflamed or bleeding gums, yellow or brown stains along the gum line, lack of appetite from sore or loose teeth, and sometimes a change in your dog’s whole demeanour if the pain is acute. A vet check is the first step if you see any of these.
What actually is plaque?: Plaque is the invisible, soft deposit of bacteria and food particles that accumulates on the teeth and gums. Left untreated it hardens, yellows, then turns brown — at which stage it’s called tartar. Tartar then provides a surface for more plaque to form on, and infection and gum disease follow.
Can diet prevent plaque?: Diet plays a large role. Dogs fed mainly on soft foods build up more plaque and tartar than those given hard, crunchy foods or bones. The most natural way to maintain a healthy mouth is supervised chewing on raw bones — raw is safer than cooked, which can splinter. Some dogs are also genetically more prone to plaque because of the type of saliva they produce.
What actually prevents plaque?: Brushing. Nothing else comes close, because plaque is a soft film that has to be physically disrupted before it mineralises — which it starts doing within about 48–72 hours. Diet and chewing help, and supplements and water additives can play a supporting role, but a brush along the gum line is the only thing that removes plaque where dental disease actually begins. We stock the Wag & Bright range for exactly this: Puppy Polish toothpaste with a finger brush or the mini eco toothbrush.
Can I use my own toothpaste on my dog?: No. Many human toothpastes contain xylitol, which is severely toxic to dogs — it triggers a rapid insulin release that can drop blood sugar dangerously within about 30 minutes, and larger doses can cause liver failure. Human toothpaste also relies on you spitting it out, and dogs swallow everything. Use a toothpaste formulated for dogs, such as Puppy Polish, which is explicitly xylitol-free and fluoride-free.

#Dog Dental Health #Bad Dog Breath #Plaque #Tartar #Gum Disease #Wag & Bright