Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dental homecare products tested on dogs without professional teeth
By Gawor, Jerzy et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary dentistry·2025·Klinika Weterynaryjna ARKA·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effectiveness of Dental Homecare Protocols in Unscaled Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs that had not received professional dental cleaning were tested with various home dental care products to see if they could improve their oral health. The dogs were given different treatments, including regular tooth brushing, dental chews, and water additives, over eight weeks. The results showed that daily brushing or using dental chews helped reduce plaque and improve gum health. Combining a water additive with brushing or dental chews was particularly effective. This suggests that pet owners can help maintain their dog's dental health at home, especially if professional cleaning isn't an option.
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Abstract
Many dental homecare products are marketed, several of which have been evaluated using a "clean tooth" protocol (the teeth are scaled at the start of the trial). The efficacy of dental products in dogs that have not had their teeth professionally cleaned ("dirty tooth model") has been studied far less often. Some dogs for which professional dental cleaning is indicated will not have their teeth cleaned because of anesthetic risk or for other reasons. In this study, 6 dental homecare products were evaluated against a negative control group; none of the dogs received professional dental cleaning at the start of the study. The home care protocols tested were: brushing every other day using a toothpaste, feeding a dental chew once daily (VF), adding a water additive in the water daily (AQ), brushing once a week + VF daily, brushing once a week + AQ daily, VF + AQ daily. Dental deposits (plaque and calculus) and periodontal health were assessed on awake dogs, before and after receiving the assigned homecare regimen for 8 weeks. Results were compared with an untreated control group. Dental deposits were reduced by regular mechanical action (brushing or VF daily). Periodontal health status was improved when AQ daily was combined with either brushing once a week or VF daily. Two scoring techniques useful for determining a recommendation from a veterinarian to commence home oral hygiene or recommend dental scaling as a necessary first step are described.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39587858/