My Morkie has bad teeth and tartar. How can I improve her oral health?

What I see in your pictures looks like tartar buildup. It happens more frequently in smaller breeds and is sometimes associated with feeding wet food. Getting her teeth cleaned by your vet will remove the tartar (you can't clean it off by yourself, it's adhered firmly to the teeth) and ensure she remains healthy for longer. Tartar buildup will trap more material, irritate the gums, breed bacteria, leading to foul breath, gum and even heart disease, as the irritated gum allow the bacteria to get into the bloodstream more easily. I recommend getting her in to see your vet for an exam and bloodwork to see how well she'll tolerate anesthesia. She will have to be anesthetized for the procedure. Trust me, this is in everyone's best interests. It greatly reduces the stress for your dog and keeps the veterinary staff from getting bitten by a frightened dog. They will remove the tartar with a scaler, polish the teeth to make it more difficult for new tartar to adhere and most likely recommend some treatments you can do at home to help slow the rate at which tartar collects on her teeth in the future.

Your dog is missing some of the upper incisor teeth. They probably fell out either due to trauma or infection; infection is most likely. There is nothing you can do for that now. But you can make sure the rest of her teeth stay healthy so she doesn't lose any more teeth. The ones I can see in the photo have a lot of tartar so I suggest you have your vet evaluate the teeth and schedule a dental cleaning. ( https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/dental-disease/ ) ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-dental-cleaning-what-to-expect/ ) After the teeth have been cleaned you can start a regimen to prevent further tartar build-up like daily brushing of the teeth, dental pads and/or water additives. Your vet can tell you more.

I am so sorry that your pet has dental disease and a heart condition. Unfortunatley the tartar that causes dental disease is mostly underneath the gumline, hence the name periodontal disease. So most of the tartar that we see on the surface of the tooth is not the main issue here. It is the tartar that is touching the gum and underneath the gum that is the problem. This isn't tartar that you will be able to get off with the pet awake, because it will be uncomfortable for the pet. Also, you have a good chance of causing damage to the gum trying to do this in any awake dog. What you are asking is not possible unfortunatley. However, there are a number of heart dogs that can actually go under anesthesia for a dental cleaning, even with a heart condition. I would suggest taking Chhutki to get an echocardiogram of her heart to determine if she is a good candidate for anesthesia and then go from there. If she isn't, then the only thing you can really do here is to do a daily oral rinse and water additive such as this one --> https://www.chewy.com/nylabone-advanced-oral-care-liquid/dp/47912 Dental disease and at home care recommendations --> https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951515 I do hope that your pet Chhutki proves to be ok to go under general anesthesia, just like many other heart disease pets, and can appropriateliy address her dental disease condition. Best of luck moving forward. Take care. : )

That's quite a bit of tarter buildup, and it would be best to have Joshie examined by a vet to determine if she is a good candidate for a dental cleaning. Dental cleanings often involve having your pet go under anesthesia so that the teeth can be thoroughly cleaned and any damaged or infected teeth removed safely. February was pet dental health month (at least in the US), and many veterinary clinics extend dental discount packages into March, so now is the perfect time to schedule a visit and check it out. At home, brushing is always a good idea, and there are many pet toothpastes available that are palatable and can encourage your pet to get their teeth brushed (never use human toothpaste as it is toxic to pets). You can also spread some on a dental chew or other "scrubby" like chew toy to help clean the teeth. Chews like nylabones, Kongs, etc, that encourage your dog to use their teeth can help. There are also prescription diets available from your vet such as t/d which is designed specifically to improve dental health and clean the teeth while eating. It would be hard to predict lifespan, but if you're working to clean your dog's teeth and keep her healthier, then that is always going to help.

Yorkies notoriously have extremely bad teeth and brushing at this stage will very likely not any difference in the condition of Tabias' teeth. He will need a veterinary exam and likely a professional dental cleaning first before any brushing his teeth at home will help prevent or slow down tartar accumulation on his teeth. The bad breath is a sign of bacterial growth under the gum line and in tartar on your dog's teeth. Please make an appointment with your veterinarian for a dental exam.

No problem! Maltese do have a tendency to get a lot of tartar, so it's best to brush her teeth every day if she will let you - you can get special dog toothpaste (don't use the human kind!) and a soft baby toothbrush that will be gentle on her gums. Providing things to chew on like cow or pig ears, rawhide chews, or dental sticks can also be helpful.

Brushing teeth is definitely the best way to avoid periodontal disease in the future but unfortunately if the tartar has already build up can be hard/not possible to remove it completely just with brushing. Tartar is rock hard and if you don't see any improvement, the next step would be a professional dental hygiene session (descale and polish). Your veterinarian will provide this service. Leo will need to be under anesthesia (they won't keep the mouth open for us while descaling and polishing!) during the procedure. In the meantime and after the procedure please continue with the brushing! Please post again on the forum if you would like to discuss it further. I hope my answer was helpful.