Why is my dog's canine tooth turning brown even with regular brushing?

Silly girl, toothpaste isn't a treat! It can be very difficult to train a dog to allow their teeth to be brushed. I would venture to guess that the majority of vets don't brush their pet's teeth, either! The brown staining is plaque and tartar. Once the plaque sets in, there is no amount of brushing that will remove it. The only way to remove the plaque and thoroughly clean the teeth is to take Keltie in for a dental cleaning. This can be a scary idea since she will need to be under general anesthesia, but it can help her avoid many preventable diseases in the future, such as abscessed teeth, infection of the jaw bones, and shedding bacteria in the bloodstream that could cause infection of the heart valves. Here is a great article on dental care in pets. Once the plaque is removed after a dental cleaning, you can work on training Keltie to accept teeth brushing, or you can use products approved by the VOHC to delay additional plaque from forming. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=128

I'm sorry that you are dealing with this with Kohl. Dental disease is very common in our dogs. If Kohl had 2 teeth fall out and needed 3 teeth extracted at his dental last year, then he likely had fairly significant dental disease. Often, we try to save as many teeth as we can when we perform a dental, but if they are too diseased, then our efforts may be futile. A tooth becomes discolored when its blood supply is interrupted. If Kohl frequently uses his front teeth to pull on things, this could be due to trauma. Once a tooth is discolored, it is considered "dead" and should be removed to prevent infection. Unfortunately, I would recommend that Kohl have another dental performed. If your vet did not do x-rays of his mouth, he should have that done and have any teeth extracted that have abnormal bone on x-rays. If your vet does not have dental x-ray, you can go to a veterinary dentist. I have attached a link to a handout below that has link to website were you can find a veterinary dentist. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2368 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Kohl will feel better soon. I had a veterinary dentist take out a number of teeth in my dog and he feels so much better now! Thanks for using PetCoach.

I understand your concern for Penny. I see some very mild tartar accumulation along the gum line of the canine tooth. There also appears to be significant staining on the second upper incisor. Significant staining such as this can be seen due to enamel defects on the tooth which allow more tartar accumulation and staining to occur. Enamel defects can occur due to injuries to the tooth such as from chewing on metal cage bars or other unapproved objects. Given the significant difference seen on the incisor, I would recommend that you have Penny's teeth checked by your veterinarian. They will be able to determine if there is an enamel defect present or if there is another potential reason for the tartar accumulation in that area.

Thank you for posting pictures. (I know that is always a challenge with a puppy!) From the pictures, the brown area just appears to be particulate build up on the tooth. That particular tooth has 3 roots, so there is a depression between the roots that things can get stuck in. (One of my dogs always has problems there.) I would recommend using an infant toothbrush and pet toothpaste (my favorite is PetSmile (http://store.petsmileusa.com)) to brush her teeth and continue daily. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for providing a picture of Shad's teeth! It looks like he has some tartar build up on that canine tooth, and I see his gums along his teeth are red. This is a sign of gingivitis. It looks like it's time for a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing. I would give his vet a call on Monday to set up an appointment to have this done within the next week or two. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Your dog may have excessive tartar and possibly gingivitis. You should have Chris' teeth checked by your vet. He may need a dental cleaning which would significantly reduce the danger of kidney disease and heart disease. There are some diseases and intoxications that can cause browning of the teeth or the top of the teeth. Your vet can rule these out with a hands-on exam.

That looks like the start of plaque and staining. You may not be able to brush that off as it usually requires a scaler and polisher to remove. It is normal over time for that to happen and it is just him constantly eating and chewing, the same as us. Over time more will develop on all the teeth and will need them clean, but for the now, the gums are healthy and there is no sign of an infection so just try to keep brushing as often as you can