Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Measuring how well dental chews remove plaque on dogs' teeth
By Ruparell, Avika et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary dentistry·2026·Mars Petcare, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Adaptation of the Gingival Contour Plaque Index for Measuring Dental Plaque Removal in Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how well different dental chews could clean dogs' teeth after they had accumulated plaque for several days. Instead of brushing, which many pet owners don't do, the researchers tested how effective these chews were at removing plaque. They found that each type of dental chew significantly reduced plaque compared to dogs that didn't get any chews. This new method of measuring plaque removal could help pet owners choose better dental care products for their dogs' oral health.
People also search for: dog dental chews effectiveness · how to clean dog teeth · best dental care for dogs
Abstract
The gingival contour plaque index (GCPI) is a method for measuring gingival margin plaque in dogs. The scoring approach usually characterizes accumulation of dental plaque via a "clean" baseline attained by toothbrushing of conscious animals. However, toothbrushing is a rare pet owner-led practice. Instead, the introduction and/or use of dental interventions is far more likely when a dog's teeth are in a somewhat "dirty" state. In line with such an assumption, 2 studies were conducted to gauge the efficacy of a single feeding instance of several different dental chews following either 7 or 5 days of intentional plaque accumulation. Each singly fed dental intervention led to a statistically significant removal of plaque compared to the no chew control ( ≤ 0.007). This adapted approach to employing GCPI offers a new opportunity to assess the plaque removal efficacy of oral care products, a novel clinical measure of principal value and relevance to the oral health of dogs in the real world.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41021575/