Essential Guide to Pet Dental Care: Tips for Keeping Your Pet’s Teeth Healthy

Most people land here after noticing bad breath, yellow-brown tartar, or sore-looking gums — or after a vet mentions a “scale and polish”. Dental disease in dogs and cats is common, often quiet, and it can change how a pet eats, plays, and copes day to day.¹

The goal is simple: keep plaque from settling in, spot problems early, and know when home care isn’t enough. Below is a practical, vet-aligned guide to what’s normal, what’s not, and what actually helps.

Understanding pet dental health

What’s happening in the mouth (plaque, tartar, gum disease)

Plaque is a soft bacterial film that forms on teeth all the time. If it isn’t removed, it mineralises into calculus (tartar), which gives bacteria a protected surface to thrive against the gums. The usual path is gingivitis first (inflamed gums), then periodontal disease as the tissues and bone supporting the teeth start to break down.¹

This is why “pretty teeth” can be misleading: the most important trouble often sits under the gumline, where you can’t see it.^{1, 2}

How common is dental disease?

By around age two to three, most pets already show some degree of periodontal disease — one reason vets take oral checks seriously, even in young animals.^{1, 3}

Signs your pet may have dental pain or disease

Pets rarely announce tooth pain. More often, the signs are small and steady:

• Persistent bad breath (not just “dog breath” after dinner)
• Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
• Visible tartar, especially on the back teeth
• Drooling, pawing at the mouth, or chewing on one side
• Reluctance to eat, dropping food, or preferring soft food
• Loose teeth, facial swelling, or discharge around a tooth (urgent)

If you notice these, book a vet visit. Dental disease tends to progress, not settle, and earlier treatment is usually simpler.¹

Vet dental checks and professional cleaning

Why regular dental checks matter

A proper dental assessment is more than a glance. Vets look for gum inflammation, fractured teeth, resorptive lesions (common in cats), and signs that infection has moved deeper. When there’s concern, the next step is often a dental procedure under anaesthesia so the whole mouth can be examined safely and thoroughly, including under the gumline.^{1, 2}

Professional dental cleaning: what it actually does

Professional cleaning removes plaque and tartar above and below the gumline, then polishes the teeth to slow re-attachment of plaque. It also allows full assessment (often with dental X-rays) and treatment such as extractions when a tooth can’t be saved.^{1, 2}

A note on “anaesthesia-free” dentistry

Non-anaesthetic (anaesthesia-free) dentistry can make teeth look whiter, but it cannot safely clean beneath the gumline or properly assess disease. Veterinary guidelines describe it as inappropriate, partly because it risks stress and injury and may delay real treatment.²

How often should pets have dental checks?

There isn’t one perfect schedule. Many pets benefit from a dental check at least yearly, while small breeds, flat-faced breeds, and pets with crowded teeth may need closer monitoring. Your vet will base timing on what they see in your pet’s mouth and how quickly tartar returns.^{1, 2}

At-home dental care that genuinely helps

Toothbrushing (the main event)

Daily brushing is the most effective home method for removing plaque before it hardens into tartar. Brushing doesn’t remove existing calculus — once it’s hard, it needs professional scaling — but it can slow down what comes next.^{1, 4}

For most pets, you only need to brush the outer (cheek-side) surfaces. Aim along the gumline, where plaque gathers first.¹

How to start (without a wrestling match)

• Go slowly. Begin by touching the muzzle and lifting the lip for a second, then stop.
• Use pet toothpaste only. Human toothpaste can be unsafe if swallowed.
• Build the habit. A few gentle strokes on the outer teeth is a good first week.
• Keep it short. Thirty seconds done often beats three minutes done rarely.

Dental chews, wipes, and water additives: how to choose

Some dental products help, but results vary. A useful shortcut is the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Seal of Acceptance, which indicates a product has met set standards for reducing plaque and/or tartar when used as directed.^{5, 6}

Think of these as support acts, not replacements for brushing — especially in pets already showing gum inflammation.^{1, 4}

Diet, chewing, and bones: what to know in Australia

Does dry food “clean teeth”?

Regular dry kibble can help a little in some pets, but it isn’t a substitute for brushing or professional care. Specially designed dental diets can be more effective because they’re made to change how the tooth penetrates the kibble and how plaque builds, but they still work best as part of an overall routine.^{4, 6}

Bones and hard chews: benefits and real risks

Chewing can reduce some surface plaque, and many dogs love it. But bones and very hard chew items can also fracture teeth, cause blockages, and introduce bacteria. Australian RSPCA advice is cautious: bones and raw meat are not recommended, and if owners choose to offer bones, they should be raw, appropriate to the dog, and supervised — never cooked bones, which can splinter and cause serious injury.^{7, 8}

Quick myth check

• “Bad breath is normal.” Occasional odour happens, but persistent halitosis commonly points to dental disease.¹
• “Tartar means their teeth are strong.” Tartar is hardened plaque — it’s a warning sign, not armour.¹
• “They’d show it if it hurt.” Many pets keep eating while living with dental pain; the changes are often subtle until disease is advanced.¹

Dental anatomy: a small, useful fact

Adult dogs usually have 42 teeth, and adult cats 30. Knowing what “normal” looks like helps when you’re checking for broken teeth, retained baby teeth, or gaps that shouldn’t be there.⁹

Final thoughts

Good dental care is quiet work: a quick look at the gums, a steady brushing habit, and timely vet dentistry when home care can’t reach the problem. If you’re only going to do one thing, make it plaque control. Everything else becomes easier from there.¹

References

1. Merck Veterinary Manual (Professional Version): Periodontal Disease in Small Animals
2. American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA): 2019 Dental Care Guidelines – Nonanesthetic Dentistry
3. Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) / Vet Voice: Dental disease in 80% of dogs and cats over age 3
4. AAHA: 2019 Dental Care Guidelines – Recommending home oral hygiene and products
5. Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC): About the VOHC
6. VOHC: Accepted Products
7. RSPCA Knowledgebase: What should I feed my dog?
8. RSPCA Knowledgebase: What should I feed my puppy?
9. dvm360 (Proceedings): Dental anatomy and formulas (adult dog 42, adult cat 30)