My dog has yellow teeth. Should I brush or get them cleaned?

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.

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.

The only way to get Bruno's teeth white again is by having him seen by the dentist for a cleaning, scaling, and polishing. This will remove all the tartar, and return his teeth to white. Give his vet a call tomorrow to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

The teeth and gums look very healthy on the pictures you posted. Teeth are very white in puppies and very young dogs, but the colour turns slightly yellow in adult dogs. I think that could be the reason in Bruno's case. His teeth definitely don't give him any problems and he will not have kidneys or heart disease because of that. Please, keep brushing the teeth as you do. The next time you see your vet, you can always ask them to quickly check Bruno's teeth.

Many times this is a genetic condition and is very common in small breed dogs. It sounds like you are doing an excellent job brushing his teeth. Keep up the good work! Here is a link which may contain some helpful information: https://www.avdc.org/ownersinfo.html You are doing the right things. Brush his teeth daily. Keep up with yearly teeth cleanings by the veterinarian. Dental bones help. You could also look into a prescription dental diet which may provide some benefit. Keep doing what you can. I hope this helps.

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

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes that is tartar that has hardened. You will unlikely be able to get that off without a dental cleaning under general anesthesia. I recommend daily brushing with dog toothpaste to prevent more from forming and causing damage to the teeth and gums. Good luck and kisses to Franklin!