Do I Need to Brush My Dog’s Teeth?

In order to prevent canine dental disease, you should definitely brush your dog’s teeth. Brushing helps to remove plaque and alleviate bad breath. It prevents tarter formation, gingivitis, and progressive dental disease, which can be very painful for your dog. In addition to pain, dogs with later stage dental disease may experience tooth loss, infections, and damage to internal organs. This happens when bacteria from the mouth enters the bloodstream, and spreads to other areas of your dog’s body. A regular brushing habit can prevent all of this.

How Often do you have to brush your dog’s teeth?

First and foremost, follow the advice of your trusted veterinarian. But if you think about this question logically, we brush our own teeth for all the same reasons we need to brush our dog’s teeth. So, it seems logical we should be brushing our dog’s teeth at least daily! I’ll be the first to admit, it’s hard to do. My dogs actually like having their teeth brushed, but still, I have three, and it can get overwhelming sometimes.

Shoot for progress, not perfection, and I think you will find you can manage brushing your dog’s teeth more often that you might think. I aim to brush my dogs’ teeth Monday through Friday, with weekends off. Isn’t that how we all are? Stick to the plan during the week, and fall off the health wagon on the weekend? 😆

All kidding aside, having this goal makes it easier to stick to the commitment of brushing daily on weekdays because I know I have a break coming. And the girls are getting their teeth brushed about 70% of days, which I feel good about.

What’s the best toothbrush for dogs?

In my experience, using a finger toothbrush (like for a baby) is the best type of toothbrush for dogs. They’re just easier to maneuver than your typical standard toothbrush, particularly if you dog isn’t fully on board with brushing just yet. You need one that is soft and flexible, and not too rigid. For years, I used the Safety 1st Fingertip Toothbrush which came with a handy vented storage case. I still stand behind this toothbrush as an excellent choice for dogs.

But then I was introduced to a far superior finger toothbrush just for dogs, the toofers 360º Dog Fingerbrush Toothbrush, and I am never going back! This super flexible finger toothbrush has soft bristles all the way around, making it easy to ensure the “brush” is reaching all of your dog’s teeth. It’s made of 100% silicone, is BPA, and phthalate-free, and is available in three colors (clear, pink, or blue). Each brush has a storage case, and they are sold in packs of two.

Initially, I was annoyed the toofers 360º Dog Fingerbrush Toothbrush was only available as a two pack. Then Ruby swiped it from the counter, along with the toothpaste. As I was able to see on my Blink camera system footage of the event, Ruby took the items from the counter, but Lemon is the one who ate them. At this point, I was thrilled to have a second brush on hand.

When I first received this finger toothbrush, I was concerned it was too big, but I have had no issues whatsoever of it slipping off my finger. They recommend adding a few drops of water inside the brush to make a seal for smaller fingers, but I haven’t even needed to do that.

Can I use human toothpaste for my dog?

No, you absolutely cannot use human toothpaste for your dog’s dental care, as it likely contains ingredients that are dangerous for your dog. Dogs don’t spit and rinse after brushing, and swallowing toothpaste intended for people poses a number of health risks.

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is responsible for creating the foaming action in toothpaste, and swallowing this ingredient can cause gastrointestinal upset for your dog.
• Fluoride is another ingredient that is intended to be rinsed from the mouth. Ingestion of toothpaste by your dog can lead to fluoride toxicity, which includes a host of dangerous symptoms, ranging from diarrhea, gastroenteritis, lameness and muscle wasting/weakness, to vomiting, seizures and ultimately death.
• Xylitol is yet another ingredient included in some human toothpastes, which poses a severe health risk for dogs. Xylitol consumption by dogs can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure, or death.

When brushing your dog’s teeth, select a toothpaste that is designed specifically for dogs. I like Petrodex Advanced Dental Care Enzymatic Dog Toothpaste. It does not foam, does not require rinsing, and it’s poultry flavor is like a tasty treat for your pup, making them more agreeable to the brushing task at hand.