How Often Do Pets Need to Have Their Teeth Brushed?

Jeanne explains how often cats and dogs need to have their teeth brushed in order to maintain oral health between professional cleanings.

She is a founding member and former president of the Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians – A NAVTA Specialty Group which certifies, trains and mentors credentialed technicians to be specialists in dentistry.

For more answers to common dental care questions click here.

TRANSCRIPT: 

Teeth need to be brushed twice daily to maintain oral health in people. Plaque bacteria is a factor in dogs and cats, and what removes plaque bacteria from the tooth surface is brushing. If a pet tolerates having their teeth brushed twice a day, that will maintain oral health between professional cleanings. If the pet has limited tolerance, then once a day is sufficient. If a pet has no tolerance having the teeth brushed and you could get bitten, other options exist that will work better with the pet’s tolerance and the pet owner’s abilities.

Summary

Title

How Often Do Pets Need to Have Their Teeth Brushed?

Description

Jeanne R. Perrone, MS, CVT, VTS (Dentistry) explains how often cats and dogs need to have their teeth brushed in order to maintain oral health between professional cleanings.