Did you know that dental care is just as important for your dog as it is for us human beings? Just like with our teeth, your dogs' teeth can gather plaque during eating. This plaque can then build up and harden which then becomes known as a brown substance called tartar.
Then as this tartar accumulates it will work its way beneath the dog's gums and become the reason behind painful infections and gum disease. This process occurs in the mouths of dogs, and is no different to what occurs in people. You no doubt brush your teeth on a regular basis, but think about your poor dog for a moment. What can he/she do?
The Veterinary world says that dog owners should brush their dog's teeth twice a week to stop the accumulation of tartar. Well, I honestly don't know any owners who take the trouble to do this. Hopefully you do. A lot of pet shops stock toothbrushes and toothpaste especially for dogs. You need to know that a dog's sense of taste is a lot more sensitive than that of us humans and the minty, tingly, sort of toothpastes that we use will be pretty unpleasant to a dog. So just make sure you use the proper doggie toothpaste.
It is fortunate that dog's have a natural tendency to chew and this acts as a dental care mechanism. Dogs crunch biscuits into small pieces when chewing and these rub against their teeth, providing a cleaning function. This is no substitute for brushing, but if you can't manage that, just try to ensure he/she regularly gets some type of crunchy dog biscuit.
Any dogs that do not get the correct dental care and do not have access to good teeth cleaning foods run the risk of different types of mouth disease. These can be mild like gingivitis or a rather more serious type of infection that can get into the dog's bloodstream and damage vital organs.
Dental services are readily available for dogs. A dog's teeth can be capped, filled, and extracted if required, just like a human beings. Of course the best way is to avoid the need for these services by looking after your dog's teeth. Preventative dental care for your dog can save you money as well. Dog dental care can unfortunately be quite costly, but then it's less painful than toothache.