Dogs do not typically have fresh breath, but their breath should not be horrendous either. Bad breath can indicate problems with a dog's teeth, and dogs can have all the same tooth problems as humans. There are three main steps you can take to keep your dog's teeth healthy and strong, and you may want to get in the habit of completing these each day.

Give It Healthy Food

Just like with humans, the food a dog eats can affect its teeth. While it can be tempting to give a begging dog bites of your food, this is one of the worst things you can do for its teeth. Human food often contains sugar and other ingredients that can harm teeth, and you should avoid giving your dog any table scraps because of this.

Instead, stick with giving it dog food only. You may want to talk to your veterinarian about which type to give it, and your vet might offer some suggestions to you. Both wet and dry dog foods can be good options, but you can ask your vet what to give your dog.

Use Chew Toys

A second habit that can help your dog's teeth is the use of chew toys. A chew toy that is hard will actually scrub the plaque and bacteria off a dog's teeth as it chews on it. You can use any type of hard chew toy for this benefit, including rawhide bones and sticks. There are also dental chew toys and treats you can purchase that assist in cleaning a dog's teeth as it chews on the item.

Brush Its Teeth

You probably brush your teeth every day as a way of keeping your breath fresh and teeth clean, so why not do this to your dog? A dog may not like having this done at first, but it will get used to it over time. To do this, purchase a dog toothbrush. You can then scrub its teeth daily to remove the plaque and tartar buildup. You can use dog toothpaste; however, this is not necessary.

If brushing its teeth does not help with its breath, you could try freshening its breath by using products designed for this purpose. You can purchase tablets that can be placed in a dog's water dish. When the dog drinks the water, the ingredients in the tablets might help freshen its breath.

These three steps can help a dog have healthier teeth and gums, but you can also take your dog to a vet for professional pet teeth cleaning services. These services are more thorough and will remove all the plaque and tartar on the dog's teeth. If you would like to learn more about these services, contact a vet in your area.

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