Your dog’s dental hygiene

Why good oral hygiene is essential?

Dogs’ anatomy and oral physiology is very different to humans. Firstly, their dentition is characteristic of carnivores: their teeth are pointed, to cut up food rather than grinding it. They therefore chew their food very little compared to humans. Furthermore, amylase (an enzyme used to digest starch) is not present in their saliva, which once again indicates limited chewing of food. The composition of saliva is also different to humans.

Due to these different characteristics, dogs are not particularly prone to dental caries (unlike humans). However, they are very prone to developing dental plaque (bacterial film on the teeth), when then leads to the build-up of tartar, bad breath and gum problems.

Dental plaque can even sometimes cause disease: periodontal disease. Chewing becomes painful, tartar builds up on the teeth, gums become very inflamed (gingivitis), and bacterial infection can cause abscesses or tooth loss.

85% of dogs and cats aged over 3 years currently suffer from problems related to dental plaque and tartar, including bad breath.

Some breeds are more prone to developing tartar and periodontal disease, particularly small breeds (Yorkshire Terrier, Bichon, Shih Tzu, etc.), although all dogs can have oral problems.

Bad breath may also be related to digestive problems (stomach, intestine).

In all cases, if your pet has severe tartar build-up or red gums, please seek veterinary advice.

How to maintain good oral hygiene for your dog? 

Numerous solutions are available. Francodex offers different products to simplify your dog’s oral care, with a solution specifically suited to each dog: