Tartar in dogs

Plaque and tartar: two different things

The confusion is universal, and it has an important practical consequence.

Plaque is a soft, invisible film made of bacteria and saliva. It re-forms on a clean tooth within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. At that stage it comes off mechanically — by brushing or by abrasion.

Tartar is that same plaque, mineralised by the salts in saliva. It is hard, yellow-brown, bonded to the enamel. Once formed, no domestic mechanical means will remove it. Not brushing, not chewing, not products added to the water.

All prevention therefore plays out inside that forty-eight-hour window. After that it takes a vet and a scale and polish under anaesthetic.

It is also why any promise to “remove tartar” deserves scepticism: what a chew can do is stop plaque from mineralising. That is not the same thing, and it is already a great deal.

Why it is more than a cosmetic problem

Tartar is not a matter of appearance, nor of breath. It is the starting point of an inflammation.

Gingivitis. The gum reddens at the neck of the tooth and bleeds on contact. At this stage it is still reversible.

Periodontitis. The inflammation reaches the supporting tissues. The gum recedes, the root becomes exposed, the bone resorbs. This stage is not reversible — lost tissue does not come back.

Tooth loss, abscesses, chronic pain. A dog almost never shows dental pain. He carries on eating, sometimes chewing on one side only. Many owners discover the extent of the problem on the day of the procedure, when several teeth have to come out.

And beyond the mouth. Inflamed gum is a permanent entry point for bacteria into the bloodstream. Veterinary studies establish a link between periodontal disease and damage to the heart, kidneys and liver. That is the underlying reason this subject deserves better than indifference.

The signs to watch for

Bad breath. The first signal, and the most dismissed. Strong breath is not normal in a dog: it is a bacterial smell. “He has dog breath” is not a given, it is a symptom.

A yellow or brown line at the neck of the teeth, particularly on the premolars and molars at the back — the hardest to see, and the first affected.

Red gum at the edge of the tooth, instead of an even pale pink.

Blood on a toy, in the water bowl, or when wiping his mouth.

A change in eating habits: chewing on one side, leaving kibble, picking food up and dropping it, no longer wanting hard toys.

Excessive drooling, a paw brought to the mouth, head tilted while eating.

Get into the habit of lifting the lip once a month and looking at the back. Thirty seconds, and it is the best screening you have.

What chewing actually does

Three documented effects, and a limit worth knowing.

Mechanical abrasion. A firm material sliding along the tooth lifts plaque before it hardens. It is the natural equivalent of brushing, on the surfaces chewing reaches.

Saliva production. Chewing stimulates salivation, and saliva is antibacterial and buffering: it neutralises acidity and limits proliferation. A dry mouth fouls faster.

Engaging the molars. It is the back teeth that do the work on hard material, and they are precisely the ones that accumulate the most tartar and that brushing reaches least well.

Now the limit. Chewing works mainly the outer faces of the teeth, and not the gum line evenly. It does not replace brushing, and it does nothing against tartar already formed. A dog who chews every day may still need a scale and polish — less often, later, but he may still need one.

The routine that works

In order of actual effectiveness, not convenience.

Brushing remains the benchmark. Three times a week minimum for a measurable effect, daily ideally. Dog toothbrush or finger brush, veterinary toothpaste only — human toothpaste contains fluoride and sometimes xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Introduce it gradually, starting by getting him to accept a finger on the gum.

Daily chewing, as a complement. It is what most dogs accept without negotiation, whereas brushing has to be learned. Twenty to forty minutes a day on a firm material.

An annual veterinary check, including an examination of the mouth. It is the only way to date the appearance of tartar and schedule a procedure at the right time rather than as an emergency.

What counts for little: so-called dental kibble has a real but modest effect; water additives and sprays have no convincing results. Do not build your prevention on them.

Which chew, and which to avoid

The criterion is simple: firm enough to abrade, safe enough not to break a tooth.

What is suitable. Deer antler, whole for an intense chewer, split for a beginner or a small build. Olive wood and coffee wood, which fray into soft fibres. Yak cheese, softer, which gives way gradually — a good choice for tired teeth or a senior dog.

What to avoid absolutely. Cooked bones, which shatter into sharp fragments. Sticks picked up in the woods — pine, spruce, willow — whose long fibres snap clean into splinters. Hooves and coconuts, too rigid. And hard plastic toys, which do the teeth no service at all.

The safety rule. If you cannot mark the surface with a fingernail, it is probably too hard for your dog's tooth. Deer antler sits at the upper limit: it suits the dog who wears his object down by abrasion, not the one who tries to snap it with a molar. That second action is the leading cause of tooth fracture on hard material — and a fractured tooth costs far more than a scale and polish.

If your dog already has a fracture, a sore gum or a known fragility, ask your vet before offering him hard material.