A dog?s teeth and human teeth are different in structure and the use they are put to. At the same time, apart from the fact that dogs do not develop cavities and are more prone to develop tartar, dogs have to face nearly the same dental problems that humans have to struggle with.

Just as in humans, if you are not careful about dental care your dog may be at a higher risk of developing dental problems like:

-?? ?Canine bad breath.
-?? ?Gingivitis or inflammation of the gums.
-?? ?Bacterial infection in teeth.
-?? ?Abscesses, a localized collection of pus surrounded by inflamed gum tissue.
-?? ?A more serious disease that attacks the gum and the bone around the teeth, known as periodontitis. ?

Teeth and mouth infections can lead to tooth extraction. These infections can also enter the blood stream and attack vital organs elsewhere in the body. While a dog breath freshener may temporarily cure bad dog breath, only a proper dental care program can keep your dog?s teeth and gums in a fighting fit condition.

Canine dental care should ideally include the following:

A vast majority of dogs can be put under anesthesia safely for dental cleaning but that does not mean that anesthetizing a dog, or for that matter does not carry any risk. At the same time it is also equally dangerous to let plaque and tartar accumulate on teeth and gums. Build up of tartar is responsible for simple symptoms like bad breath to serious dental diseases including gingivitis and periodontitis.

Cleaning dog teeth is an essential part of dog grooming and your pet’s teeth should ideally be cleaned daily if you want to avoid any dental complications. There is a huge range of products, manual as well as electric, that is available in the market that you can use to clean your dogs’ teeth at home.

-    Toothpastes – It is important that you do not use toothpaste meant for humans. Dog specific toothpaste is flavored differently, usually with beef or chicken flavor, so that it is easy for the dog to accept the taste. Make sure you choose one that does not foam or gets rinsed easily.