Keep Your Dog Smiling with Healthy Teeth and Gums + Win $100 from The Dentastix Brand!

Some posts may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure.

Daisy toothy grin

Daisy’s funny smile is one of the many things we love about her. It makes ME smile just seeing her crooked, toothy grin, and we’re doing everything we can to help keep her teeth and mouth healthy. In addition to keeping your dog’s smile looking good, a lot of pet parents don’t realize that proper oral care is super important for your dog’s overall health too!

Just like with people, if a pet gets gum disease from poor oral hygiene, bacteria from their mouth could enter their bloodstream and travel to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. Unfortunately, unlike humans, we can’t teach our fur kids how to brush and floss so we have to be responsible for keeping their mouth healthy and clean for them!

Whether you’ve got a new puppy or have an older dog, here are some tips for you:

  • Brush your dog’s teeth daily and only use toothpaste that is designed for pets (never use human toothpaste). Daisy likes the poultry flavor and thinks tooth brushing is a big treat!

Daisy stuff in kitchen bowl

  • Out of sight, out of mind. Keep your dog’s tooth brush and toothpaste somewhere handy where you’ll see it and remember to use it. We keep all of Daisy’s important supplies up on top of the microwave in a big bowl where we can see it but she can’t get into it.
  • Watch out for early signs of gum and dental disease. If your dog starts getting bad breath or you notice their gums are bleeding, be sure to see the vet. Even if you don’t see these symptoms, remember to ask your veterinarian about your dog’s oral health at every annual exam.
  • Treat your dog with snacks designed to aid in oral care, like Pedigree Dentastix treats. They’re clinically proven to reduce tartar buildup (a contributor to gum disease) by up to 80% when used daily. They’ve got a special texture and patented X-shape. They help clean between teeth and down to the gum line. You’ll find them in sizes for every dog, too!
dentastix
To help spread the word about the importance of great oral care, the makers of Dentastix treats wants to give one lucky reader a very special treat that is sure to make you SMILE: a $100 Visa Gift Card! That sure will buy a lot of treats and toothpaste…Or use it to splurge on anything you’d like!
This Giveaway has ended! Congrats to Candice D. from Washington state for being randomly selected as the winning commenter!
Win a $100 Visa Gift Card
Just leave us a comment below with your best tip for keeping your dog’s mouth healthy, or tell us the biggest challenge you have when it comes to daily oral care for your dog.
Rules are simple:
  • Limit of One comment per person/IP Address/email/household
  • Must be US resident with US mailing address
  • Comment by 11:59pm EST on March 10, 2013 when giveaway ends
  • Only comments left on this blog post are eligible
  • Winner will be randomly selected from all comments, using random.org
  • Winner must reply to prize notification email within 24 hours or new winner will be chosen
  • Void where prohibited by law
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Dentastix brand. The opinions and text are all mine.

Comments

  1. I make sure to give my dog a dental chew daily – to help clean her teeth and also freshen her breath.

  2. my dog likes he teeth brushed… he loves the the beef flavored toothpaste from the vet

  3. My best tip for keeping Bru’s mouth healthy is already Pedigree Dentastix treats!  I buy the mini or small size minty sticks and Bru LOVES them.  I make him do a little trick, hand him his Dentastix, and he runs with it excitedly into the living room to chew it up.  The biggest challenge I have when it comes to daily oral care for Bru is getting around to brushing his teeth.  I don’t do it everyday, though I should.  When he was a puppy (still is), it was really easy to brush his teeth.  Now that he’s 10 months old, he’s a lot strong and better at resisting.  He runs and hides!  I try to praise him during/after, but he looks so mad, hahaha.

  4. Terri Ingham-Bollin says

    I already give Kado Dentastix treats.  I tried brushing his teeth and he just ate the toothpaste and tried to eat the toothbrush so that didn’t work so well.  

  5. Brushing my huskies’ teeth is always a chore so I try and give them rawhides and dental chews to help me keep their teeth clean when I can’t brush them.

  6. Chelsea Place says

    Just brushed my dogs teeth this morning, he tries to eat the toothpaste before i can actually get his teeth clean… Silly pup thats not how you clean you teeth!

  7. Valerie Simko says

    My best tip for keeping your dog’s teeth healthy is keeping a schedule. Good habits like bad habits become hard to break when we get into the routine of doing so – every Sunday and Wednesday Cooper gets his teeth brushed: along with the additional treat upon Sunday completion to take it that extra mile.

  8. We love Dentastix around here. The dogs think it’s a treat, and I get the piece of mind that their teeth stay healthy! I love that your dog actually smiled for the pic! Gorgeous!

  9. Just gotta brush!  I love the idea of making it into a schedule cause I need to do it more often!

  10. My dog could definitely use these.  We used to be so good about brushing her weekly.  not so much anymore:(

  11. Jennifer Hill says

    Dentastix treats, he won’t let me brush his teeth

  12. We buy toys that help to make our dogs teeth stronger and cleaner because it’s something he’ll use daily.

  13. We always make sure Dexter has a rope toy – it acts like floss!

  14. Our biggest challenge is definitely finding the time & remembering to brush Garth’s teeth.  They looked good at his recent dental exam, but we still need to be consistent about brushing.  He has several Nylabones including a dental dinosaur, but I think chewing on his elk antler helps the most.

    Rebecca (Garth’s mom)

    • Do be careful with the elk antlers…Daisy loves them too, but her cousin recently swallowed a piece that broke off and had to have emergency surgery for an obstruction! I’ve been scared to give her one since.

  15. Danielle Kilburn says

    Alfie loves to have his teeth brushed!  And he is also a big Dentastix lover so he always has super fresh breath!

  16. Biggest challenge: can’t keep my dog still or hold him to clean his teeth, he does not like it. We give him hard kibble with wet food to help with teeth cleaning.
    jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com

  17. Sandy VanHoey says

    My daughter cares for her Pomeranians teeth. She has brushed them and also given snacks, including the dentastix you have shown to her. 

  18. I think dentastix are the best! 
    Thanks for the contest.

  19. We always have chew bones around of some sort, it helps to break down the plague build up on our little Ruger’s teeth. He has had no problem and they are sparkly white all the time! 

    Thanks for contest!

    kelseylouiseapley@gmail.com

  20. Have annual dental checkup and we pick chew toys to help as well.

  21. I love to give our dig dentastix & eucalyptus doggie biscuits toto helo wiyh herher oral healrh & bbreath. 

  22. I have a huge challenge when it comes to keeping my two dog’s teeth healthy. They are older and get a plaque build-up quickly. I usually give them either Dentastix or Greenies to help chip away at the plaque. They will not let me open their mouths to try and brush their teeth. They have the worst breath that smells like fish!

  23. Danielle Murgia says

    One of Sissy’s favorite things is dentastix.  She will sit and chew them for a while and I know it is keeping her teeth clean.

  24. I make sure to give Max a dental chew daily and always keep up with dental checkups at the vet.

  25.  We haven’t had any problems in the past..our dogs get other teeth cleaning treats once in a while but i worry about it more that they are getting older. I’m looking forward to them trying Dentastix!

  26. Dentastix are Cecil’s FAVORITE treat. He still needs teeth cleanings, but less frequently than without them

  27. Shemp DeYoung (@shempgames) says

    Toothbrushing is really tough.

  28. Brushing Sarafina’s teeth every night!

  29. My biggest challenge is getting my 2 dogs to sit still while I brush their teeth. I am still trying to figure that one out.

  30. Theresa Spaid says

    I give my dogs their milk bone every day.

  31. Cheryl Chervitz says

    We buy toys that they have to chew to help their teeth and gums, None of the 4 of my dogs like the teeth brushing, but they will let me do it.  My oldest will try to keep her jaw clenched so I have problems opening her mouth to brush though!  I have also used liquid in their water bowl to help with breath freshness.

  32. I use a combination of a daily dental chew, chew toys that help with their teeth, and brushing their teeth with my fingers because they hate the puppy toothbrush…I’m working on that one. 🙂

  33. Melanie Montgomery says

    The biggest challenge is that we adopted our dog at age 6, and he was neglected and his teeth in bad shape. I don’t know if they are too far gone!

  34. My biggest challenge is trying to pry open my Prada’s mouth to brush her teeth!! She just wont let me do it.  But she will eat the Dentastix’s!!!!

  35. Olivia Rubin says

    My good girl lets me scale her teeth and the plaque right off. The vet loves how great they look. She uses Zukes bones more as a large treat/reward 1x a week and they do some wrk on her teeth too. She has to have wheat, corn soy free so she can’t have dentastix, but I still love their doggy denture adds!

  36. One of my dogs tolerates having his teeth brushed, the other *hates* it. She’ll try to hide as soon as she sees the toothbrush come out. She reluctantly comes when called, and I *always* make sure to give her a reward for coming to me. They get their teeth brushed, sometimes get a spray of a breath freshener, and then immediately get “jackpot” treats- treats that are very high value to them and they don’t get often. I usually take the treats out at the same time I get the toothbrushes out to remind them of what’s coming. I also try to pick a high value treat that smells good or won’t get stuck in their teeth so as not to negate the brushing. My dogs still hate actually getting their teeth brushed, but they know that they will absolutely be rewarded after and it does make the process much easier.
    My biggest challenge is actually maintaining their breath. Shiloh, my 3yo, isn’t a problem. But Cheyenne, my 11+yo, has the worst breath I have ever come across- due both to her age and the amount of fish oil she gets in her diet for her joints. We brush, we use breath spray, and we add “doggy mouthwash” to their water, we give dental treats…. but her breath still smells like a skunk died in a dirty fish tank. Due to her age and health the vet doesn’t want to risk putting her under anesthesia for a cleaning, she won’t chew on hard chews, and the fish oil is too important for her joints to get rid of. So the frequent brushing, etc is the best we can do, and the over the top praise and rewards makes the process so much more bearable for both of us.

  37. Amanda mazz says

    Teeth on a dog is very important keeps them healthy !

  38. Once a week I have Steel “play dead” while I get into her mouth and scape away her tartar. Then we scrub her teeth. After that she carries her toothpaste and brush back to the bathroom and we put them away until next time.

  39. I give my dogs plenty of different dental chews, biscuits, and rope toys, I also try to brush their teeth

  40. Mallory H. says

    My tip, is that we use distilled water for our dogs. I’m hoping it keeps the minerals that’s in the tap water off of their teeth. The calculus. Seems to be working great!

  41. Christina Tong says

    My best tip for keeping my dog’s mouth healthy is every time after he eats, I hand him some fresh water and he loves the Pedigree Dentastix Treats that is a good aid in oral care for him. I just brush his teeth without toothpaste that’s why he doesn’t to. I would try to use toothpaste perhaps he likes it as a treat!

    attct[at]aol[dot]com

  42. Mendy Dinsmore says

    My dog doesn’t like the green dental sticks. I brush his teeth or rather rub them with a wet washcloth and it helps with bad breathe. He loves Nyla bones, and those help also.

  43. My dog actually let us brush his teeth!

  44. alena svetelska says

    We love Dentastix around here. brushing his teeth is always big challenging core for us and my dog

  45. Holly Thomas says

    Brushing & Dentastix works great!!

  46. My doggie likes it but I have to pry her mouth open to brush her teeth.

  47. Adrianne B says

    Our biggest challenge is getting our little guy to keep his mouth open and relax.  He’s skittish with any hands-on procedure (nails/teeth/vet).  Sometimes we luck out and can get in there and clean his teeth well, but it’s usually a two-person job;)

  48. Ash Johnson says

    One of my dogs is good to get his teeth brushed, but the other is a nightmare. I’ll have to try these.

  49. Nichol Tone says

    We actually give her dentastix

  50. My friend used to work at a pet accessories store and she recommended me a “Listerine” for dogs, but it didn’t work so well, so I am definitely going to try Dentastix for my two labradoodles!

  51. I struggle with oral hygiene for my doggie. Tried the toothbrush and failed…need to be more faithful. What I do is give him dry food only. He gets a hard bully stick 3 x week and greenie (kind of hard) 3 x wk. I’ve also tried some spray. I should be more diligent and do the spray at least and try the brushing again.

  52. Ada Miller says

    I try to brush but thats a challenge so i buy products that help with dental care. Thanks for the giveaway!

  53. Rachel Martin says

    Denta-chews daily! lifesavers! My two big hounds love them(:

  54. My best tip is to go for the good food. Go for foods that are meant to be healthy for oral care. I also only feed in the morning, so he has all day to rinse his mouth out while drinking water!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

  55. My best tip is to go for the good food. Go for foods that are meant to be healthy for oral care. I also only feed in the morning, so he has all day to rinse his mouth out while drinking water!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

  56. My dogs never liked having their teeth brushed. I use good food, and denta chews.

  57. lauren guilbeau says

    My biggest challenge is that I adopted my dog and he had to have 26 teeth removed, so he is very sensative about his teeth!

  58. Linda Szymoniak says

    I have five Treeing Walker Coonhounds, none of who like getting their teeth brushed (plus the time it would take to brush five dogs’ teeth!) so I love Dentastix – and they love them even more.  

  59. I give dental treats often, and have tried to brush their teeth regularly (it’s hard).

  60. Patty Coleman says

    I use Dentastix and Greenies sticks

  61. Kimberly snyder says

    I try to make sure we give dental healthy treats like dentastix..to keep teeth and breath at their best 

  62. We always give our puppy the dental treats to help keep his teeth clean. The biggest challenge we run into is trying to actually brush his teeth ~ he’s still a puppy and just thinks its a toy he’s supposed to play with!

  63. Having plenty of great chew toys can work wonders — especially those mint-flavored rope bones. My dog loves them!

  64. Karla Gutierrez-Pugh says

    Casey goes for her annual dental check-up. I brush her teeth every other day. She loves the taste of her Petrodex peanut flavored toothpaste. She also gets a Dentastix or another form of dental treat every night after dinner!

    p.s. cute picture of Daisy

  65. Melissa Hartley says

    I live with my mom currently & her dog Sidney is scared of everything & very stubborn! So the vet has to clean his teeth & trim his nails because he will not let anyone else do it .. would love to try these DentaStix out–it sure would help keep his gums healthy .. thank you!

  66. Tara gets a Dentastix every morning to keep her teeth white. She also gets a Dream Bone. She has beautiful teeth. Vet always think i brush but i tell them the truth.

  67. the vet told me I didn’t have to buy an expensive dog toothbrush sold at pet stores…a simply child’s toothbrush from the dollar store works and the dogs like the meat flavored doggy toothpaste. 
    My hardest thing: My dog likes to chew ice when she is in the backyard (we live in utah). I don’t know how good that is on her teeth.
    xo

  68. April Sinclair says

    Dentastix is the only thing I use.

  69. I use Greenies – my dog loves them (but then again, she loves anything she can chew on)! 🙂

  70. I use the dentastix. my dog loves them!

  71. I hate when my dog won’t let me even get near his eyes or mouth! He shakes and moves his little butt around everywhere! I think restraining is probably the most difficult thing, so the dentastix are KEY to helping with tooth decay… Curious to see if they help with stinky breath?

    Thanks!

  72. Amanda Sakovitz says

    I use dentastix for my dog

  73. Katie Bellamy says

    We take our dogs to the groomer regularly for this stuff!

  74. Jennifer Haile says

    My dog is really good about getting his teeth brushed. I also give him dental chews.

  75. Colleen Boudreau says

    I give my dog Greenies.

  76. Joni Mason says

    Our dog is just a pup but we already give him tartar control chew bones. We are going to start brushing his teeth soon.

  77. Thomas Murphy says

    I brush my dogs teeth every week

  78. Stephanie Reed says

    We brush our dogs teeth about once a week. They aren’t too bad about it.

  79. We brush our dogs teeth.

  80. My dog has horrible breath!  I get his teeth cleaned and get him “chews” for bad breath but nothing seems to work.  I would appreciate ANY ideas you might have that could change this. LOL

  81. brushing their teeth is important!

  82. I have Yorkies and they are known to have poor dental health generally. Knowing that, as puppies we started brushing their teeth every night as part of their bed time routine. We use this great canine toothpaste that foams up and sticks to their teeth better than the average canine paste. Even when we rescued a yorkie, he took right to it. They only need a full dental every 3 years opposed to an annual.

  83. This would be a great help for a new pet owner!

  84. Brush with doggy toothpaste as needed. Crunch treats and bones are good for keeping tartar away.

  85. Kelly Ann T. says

    My dogs don’t mind getting their teeth brushed because they love the doggie toothpaste and the Crest spin brush makes it super easy. My biggest challenge is to make sure that I keep the toothbrush and paste put away or they will be into it.
    They will steal my toothbrush if I leave it on the counter. Crazy dogs.

  86. Daily oral care is so important for dogs. The best tip for keeping a dog’s mouth healthy would be daily brushing followed by appropriate chews. If necessary, a professional cleaning is great if they are already bad, but otherwise, regular brushing followed by a tasty dental chew is great for keeping their mouths healthy

  87. kathy artis says

    Give my dog a dental chew. He won’t let me brush his teeth.

  88. I give my dogs rawhide chips to help wear off plaque in between professional dental cleanings. For my smallest dog (long-haired Chihuahua), I give her the small/medium Dentastix. Those are great because she really won’t chew rawhides. My dogs eat the denta defense food as well. I figure it can’t hurt! 😉
    I used to be better about brushing teeth, but have gotten away from that in the past several years.

  89. My biggest challenge is our dog Bear doesn’t enjoy having his teeth brushed.
    Thanks for the chance.

  90. I brush my Holly’s teeth Almost every day! She tries to bite it, though.  But she does like the toothpaste I use.  These Dentastix would be very helpful for me.

  91. golden storm says

    i clean my dogs teeth 2 times a week and she hates it,,it is a struggle and takes me the most part of 45 mins,,she hates thee feel of the brush when i brush her teeth at times i have just rubbed it in with my finger i also give her a bone once aweek and try to give her dental chews when i can

  92. The biggest challenge I have is getting my dog not to bite me when I try to brush her teeth. She doesnt do it on purpose but she wont hold still and bites down on the brush and my fingers.

  93. I think the hardest part is just remembering to do it!

  94. My dogs LOVE dentastix!!!  and I love giving them to them because I am not scared that they’ll do some other damage to them!!

  95. elven johnson says

    We use Dentastix

  96. Linda Meyers-Gabbard says

    The Vet said to either brush their teeth every 48 hot with a soft childs tooth brush or cover a finger with a soft cloth an wipe the teeth.  He  said using can see bones or dry hard food doesn’t really clean the teeth properly.The biggest problem I have In trying to clean their  teeth is they  want to bite me.

  97. We r actually struggling with bad breath now. Maybe we should try dentastix

  98. Eloquence says

    We have one of those finger toothbrushes we use.

  99. Michelle Perez says

    We use toys to keep our dogs mouths clean & take them to the groomer every 2 weeks.

  100. richelle bowers says

    my dogs use rawhides

  101. sandy weinstein says

    i have 3 girls, they all hate to have their teeth brushed, i use stuff in the water, i use stuff n their foods, i give them dental treats, i have a scraper, brushes, all natural toothbrush

  102. My biggest challenge is brushing the teeth. I should have started when he was a puppy but I didnt. Now he just doesnt like it at all.

  103. well, my sweetie eats the denta sticks! and then we brush his teeth 1 a week. he doesn’t really like it, but tries to be patient with me. I use a denta stick as his reward. I sit it on the counter to encourage him!

  104. My only problem is how difficult it can be to brush my dog’s teeth.  He loves to eat the toothpaste. Ha!

  105. Samantha says

    Keeping my dogs breath fresh is the biggest struggle that I have with my dog. 

  106. Sue Barney says

    I give them dental chews but they both hate getting their teeth brushed

  107. Annette Rosenberg says

    My Mitzie girl goes to the vet twice a year for a teeth cleaning just like the rest of the family

  108. Amy Green says

    We use Milk-Bones and chew toys!

  109. Chew toys, and dental chew treats 😀

  110. My pups HATE having their teeth brushed but I do my best to keep them supplied with bones and chews to try and keep the tarter level down and their gums healthy.  

  111. I brush my dog’s teeth and use pet toothpaste

  112. Janine McNally says

    We take him for regular check ups!

  113. Danyelle H says

    My dog is just a puppy but I have started massaging her teeth to get her ready for teeth brushing!

  114. I have to give Chad bones and chews because he’s isn’t having any parts of having his teeth brushed. Luckily, his breath is good and his teeth are healthy.

  115. we try to brush tobey’s teeth daily.  he’s getting older and he’s so good about it but i know he hates it.  we use dentastix too actually- have for almost a year now.  he likes them and i feel like we’re getting good results using the combo of brushing and the products. 

  116. Cheyenne says

    We give our dog dental care treats and chew toys. Its just so hard to get her to sit through a teeth brushing, shes far too feisty.

  117. I make sure there are big baskets of all types of safe chews – cow hooves, bully sticks, etc for my dogs to chew on.  As a treat they get an edible dental chew when they come back from a walk.  It keeps them happy, busy and their pearly whites clean.  🙂

  118. Our Pom Koda struggles with bad breath. We give him denta sticks and dingo mint chews. He hates to get his teeth brushed, but we still do it every once in a while. 🙂

  119. Biggest challenge is getting them clean so I definitely like the dentastix option

  120. i brush my dogs teeth and i give them dental treats.

  121. I give my dog dental chews

  122. Have to give dental treats to help keep the teeth clean!

  123. My furbaby loves Denastiks…we can’t really afford them.  back to attemping the brush.

  124. Oops Dentastix…sorry. woof forgive my misspelling.

  125. tartar control treats!

  126. My dog LOVES dentasticks!  He goes nuts for them.  Thanks!

  127. My dog hates having his teeth brushed he won’t hold still and just likes to eat the toothpaste.

  128. Becky Richied says

    I started when my Marley was a pup brushing her teeth, she seems pretty used to it now. I had bought some doggy mints but really she doesn’t need them her breath is fine since she out grew that puppy breath. lol

  129. Christina Strapp says

    I just try to make sure their teeth are brushed daily even though they hate it.

  130. Michael Lambert says

    My wife is a vet tech and always tells me how important it is to brush our dogs teeth. We do try to give them chews to help out.

  131. i give them a dental chew daily

  132. We give our dog a dental treat every night and have her teeth professionally cleaned every three years.  We’ve tried to brush them before, but I don’t think it made much of a difference.

  133. Lola gets a dental chew every night and has her teeth professionally cleaned every three years.  We’ve tried to brush them, but I don’t think it made much of a difference.

  134. my bailey hates having his teeth brush so I have to coax him into it with treats usually. His favorite treat is carrots, so that works as a double plus because theyre nice and crunchy. Hes also a chewer, he loves his nylabones which seem to help. I have to admit I forget to brush his teeth every day, but I try to remember a few times a week, he likes the poultry flavor too but he just tries to eat it off the little finger brush i use. 

  135. Mallory H. says

    Who won!?!

Leave a Reply to Misty Cancel reply

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.