Teeth Cleaning!

[Skruffy n Flea]

hello

my boy byron chews mostly on one side of his mouth, the left. he had a visit to the vet the other day and a dental check proved that his [not very good] right back teeth aren't being 'used' as much as his [really nice and white] left back teeth!

byron is a mixed breed [a rescue] and has, but not badly, 'bunched' teeth on both sides at the back of his mouth. i've known this from day dot and always gave him bones and other chewables. he loves his bones!

his vet gave me the option; brush/clean or have him sedated for a teeth cleaning!

if you brush your dog's teeth, what do you use? is it successful?

would a dab of doggy toothpaste on a cotton cloth work? would the cotton, being soft yet course, be effective? he has a small mouth and i think the brushes i've looked at would be too big?!?!

tia

edited to clear up some confusion :p

Edited August 19, 2011 by Skruffy n Flea

[Roar Kingdom]

How bad are the teeth? It is unlikely that teeth brushing alone will clean up teeth that are worse than a dental grade 2 on a 4 point scale - ie minimal tartar build-up, no gingivitis. It is also quite difficult to clean the molars effectively with teeth brushing in most dogs.

A dental under GA may be necessary initially to clean up the teeth, than ongoing care with brushing (a fingerbrush is often easier to get to back teeth) and LOTS of soft, raw meaty bones like whole raw chicken carcasses, lamb flaps etc.

A natural, raw food diet will maintain dental health long-term much better than a processed one. Processed foods stick to the teeth making a breeding ground for bacteria and tartar. It is a complete lie that dogs (or cats) need dry food to keep their teeth clean.

It also may be worthwhile getting your dog checked by a Holistic Vet who practices some kind of bodywork therapy like chiropractics, or acupuncture, as there may be some jaw pain or other reason why he is only using one side to chew.

[Skruffy n Flea]

thanks roar kingdom for taking the time to answer

his right-side back teeth aren't terribly bad and today i spent just short of $20 on some doggy toothpaste and two finger brushes --- i've already introduced the paste, quickly followed by a treat, and by following that routine over the next few days or so, i hope to start brushing early to mid next week.

i include raw lamb/beef ribs, neck and some marrow bones in their diet along with chunks of raw stewing steak mixed with raw/cooked vegies but i do incorporate high-end processed along with dry to offer some variety ... it's not that he doesn't chew on both sides of his mouth; it's that he chews more on his left side. [his teeth are a helluva lot better than they were when we adopted him.]

at the time i was on my way out of the exam room when i noticed a brochure on dental health and it was then that the vet [a locum] said she'd checked his teeth but didn't indicate anything serious, so i took her advice to 'consider' brushing OR have it done under sedation --- i didn't think to ask her about jaw/tooth discomfort!

again, thanks for your input i've taken on board your advice and if brushing doesn't do the job, then i'll take it further...

[RiverStar-Aura]

Hey Scruffy n Flea,

It may be worthwhile looking into a professional clean under GA anyway. That way you know your boy's teeth will be nice and disease free before you move onto brushing them yourself.

I just recently had my 9 year old cat in for a teeth clean and she was fine. The vet said she could've gone for another year before it was needed but after Poochie had such disasterous teeth and needed nearly all of them removed I wasn't going to risk waiting with Callie.

By having them professionally cleaned you won't need to worry about missing spots or worry that you're not doing it wrong and once it's over you won't really need to worry about his teeth for a while -- provided you feed him bones and stuff. And under the GA your vet might be able to look for sharp teeth or problems on his right side which might explain why he doesn't use that side as often.

[Skruffy n Flea]

hi riverstar and thanks for your input too

good advice --- i struggled finding time this week and now reading your post, i'd be better off having his teeth cleaned properly and then use the brush periodically thereafter. i'll take another look at his teeth and assess from there.

thanks again

[becks]

You would need to brush regualarly for it to have the effect of keeping teeth clean.