Consistency and regular cleanings are the keys to maintaining your dog’s oral health. If you can start with brushing your canine’s teeth at least twice a week, that can go a long way towards maintaining long-term dental health.

There are several ways to keep your dog’s mouth clean and keep your dog’s oral health intact. First off, brushing is a must. You can also use all-natural breath sprays that care for your dog’s dental health but don’t require you to constantly brush their teeth. And, finally, you can use dog dental care chews, which are designed to reduce inflammation, freshen breath, and scrape the build-up off of your dog’s teeth.

It might sound like dog dental care is 'optional' because, at the end of the day, dogs are animals. And do animals really need dental care in the wild? Of course, the answer is no. That being said, dogs are part of our family, so they’re domesticated. They have a different diet than in the wild, even if you feed them a BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diet. They also have a different set of dental care needs. Without consistent dog oral care, your dog could experience gum disease, bad breath, and systemic infections.

The best way to take care of your dog's oral health is to rely on consistent cleanings at home. To do this, you can use a brush meant for dogs and doggie toothpaste, which is usually flavoured to taste like their favourite food.

Start when your dog is still a young pup, and they will soon get used to the sensation of brushing. Make sure to get their gums and back molars for a thorough clean that frees any food debris. Finally, you can also use soft, silicone finger brushes if your pooch is having a hard time adjusting to regular brushing. Read our article here on dog oral care for more information.