As we get into our second month of dental awareness, a frequent question that we get from owners is what they can do at home to help promote healthy teeth. What we need to keep in mind is these are options to help PREVENT dental disease, not to treat it, so they are most effective on teeth that have either a) minimal dental disease or b) are post-dental cleaning.
The gold standard (and most difficult!) for at-home dental care is brushing your pet’s teeth. Clenz-a-dent toothpaste comes in both poultry and vanilla flavors depending on your animal’s preference. The toothpaste uses an enzyme formula to provide natural antibacterial action and decrease plaque formation. It also helps to freshen breath to make their kisses even more enjoyable!
A great option for at-home dental care is Clenz-a-dent chlorhexidine rinse. It is an easy-to-use gel that can be applied directly to the teeth and gumline with either the enclosed applicator or a fingertip/q-tip. Its palatable antimicrobial formula helps protect the teeth and gums, and freshen breath. The combination of chlorhexidine, zinc acetate and cetylpyridinium chloride offers protection against plaque, tartar and bacterial proliferation.
An easy option to do at home is feed a specialized dental diet, such as Purina DH. These are veterinary diets to help promote healthy teeth and decrease plaque and tartar accumulation. These foods are designed to have a kibble that is large enough to encourage increased chewing time and have a special texture to allow the teeth to penetrate deep into the food before it breaks. This greater tooth penetration extends the contact time between the teeth and food, creating a cleaning effect. Another option is the Clenz-a-dent Food Additive PlaqueOff. It contains Ascophyllum nodosum, a seaweed which acts naturally to decrease tartar and bad breath.
A different option for our canine companions are Clenz-a-dent chews or sticks. . These can be given daily as a treat or reward, and help promote healthy teeth and gums. A special enzyme coating helps the natural antibacterial salivary system that prevents bacterial proliferation in the mouth and the development of plaque and tartar. They have a minimally abrasive texture that works with a dog’s own chewing action to loosen tartar and decrease plaque accumulation. They also taste great (or so it seems!) and our doggy friends get an enjoyable treat while cleaning their teeth!
Another easy alternative to help promote dental health in our furry companions is a water additive. Clenz-a-dent mouth rinse/water additive is a product that helps fight plaque and also freshen breath. It’s as close to doggy and kitty mouthwash as we can get! As long as your animals will drink the water (it does mildly change the taste and some of our more picky patients are less than thrilled), it is a very easy way to help maintain clean teeth. This 2-in-1 product can be used either as a mouth rinse or as water additive. In addition to the anti-plaque effect, Clenz-a-dent Mouth Rinse / Water Additive is mint flavoured for an immediate breath freshening effect.