Oral Hygiene

• This is a third-party organization
• Helps to validate if a product or diet meets its label claims to reduce plaque & calculus buildup
• Approved products are evaluated by the VOHC to determine if they meet the criteria for the product’s oral health claims
• VOHC does not perform research themselves, but rather, they review the submitted research for the product

• Daily brushing with a soft‐bristled nylon toothbrush is the most effective
• The soft bristles mechanically remove the plaque biofilm 
• Bristles can remove plaque ≤ 1-2 mm deep below the gum line
• Patients with more advanced periodontal disease & patients with periodontal pockets are ≥ 1-2 mm of depth require professional treatment

Pet toothpaste additives are used to: 

• Increase palatability (better tasting)
• Enhances normally occurring protective salivary mechanisms
• Provide chemical control of plaque 

Do not use human toothpaste:

• Fluoride & detergents in human toothpaste can be toxic to pets when swallowed
• Sodium bicarbonate toothpaste can increase the patients’ sodium levels

When to Start Toothbrushing: 

• Start as soon as possible, between 8-12 weeks old is best
• Your pet does not necessarily need at-home dental care at this age, but at this age, you can familiarize & desensitize them to teeth brushing
• Consider minimizing the brushing activity for your pet’s teeth while they are losing their baby teeth because the mouth can be sore during this time period
  • Cats 3-6 months old
  • Dogs 3-7 months old
• Then, when all the adult teeth have erupted, you can resume your pet’s normal tooth-brushing regime

Make Tooth Brushing Fun:

• While brushing your pet’s teeth, use a lot of love & praise to build their confidence with you handling their mouth
• If they are nervous & struggle, do not scold them or reprimand them, it can increase the fear, stress, & anxiety
• Be patient with you & your pet, building new habits takes time & practice!

• Inhibits the development of plaque & the development of periodontal disease
• Can be used daily 
• Can have a bitter taste
• Mechanism:
  • Disrupts bacterial cell wall lipoproteins 
  • Precipitates the bacterial cytoplasm
  • Binds to the pellicle & has a prolonged effect

• Tasteless
• Can decrease viable plaque biomass, reducing plaque & gingivitis
• Contains ascorbic acid:
  • Supports & induces collagen synthesis
  • May improve healing following dental scaling &/or oral surgery

• Most effective for the tips of the cusps of the chewing teeth
• Chewing can aid in the natural mechanical cleaning of the teeth 
• Dental diets control plaque through the fiber arrangement within the kibble 
• The kibble is coarse, compressible, & resistant to tearing 
• These kibbles are designed to be larger than regular pet food, which increases the amount of chewing

This form of oral hygiene is not effective at or below the gingival margin. Supragingival plaque & calculus are not inflammatory; therefore, minimal control of gingivitis is gained by calculus control. These diets will not be effective when:

• Chewing teeth are absent
• Occluding teeth are absent
• Pets do not chew their food

NOTE: There is no strong evidence that regular soft diets or hard non-dental diets preferentially lead to greater plaque accumulation or reduction in dogs & cats