Why are my Havanese's teeth yellow despite brushing and cleaning?

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Beto. Tooth brushing is very beneficial to a dog's overall health. If the teeth are more yellow in color due to an accumulation of tartar, then the brushing will not remove what is already on the teeth. It will prevent more being deposited though and will help to prevent gingivitis. Gingivitis is a redness along the gumline indicating an infection. If left untreated it can destroy the attachments of the teeth creating a source of chronic painful for the dog. It can also spread the infection to other areas of the body. In this case, the teeth will need to be professionally cleaned under anesthesia. I hope this information helps!

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.

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.

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.

Good on you for brushing Cleo's teeth a couple of times a week! That is really awesome. Brushing the teeth is great, but there can still be tartar build up over time. Cleo could have also injured her tooth biting in something hard. I would have her seen by a vet for this tooth problem. She may benefit from a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing, and the vet can examine the tooth to determine why it is brown and how best to treat it. I would have her seen by a vet this week.

Unfortunately, in many dogs it comes down to genetics and breeds. While brushing your dog's teeth on a daily / semi daily basis is great and something that I wish all my clients (and myself) would do, often in small breed dogs they are a ticking time bomb in terms of when a dental extraction will be required. I would not beat yourself up about this since you obviously have been doing all you can to avoid this. If you are seeing gumline recession and are feeling loose teeth, I would strongly recommend having his anesthetized for a full dental cleaning plus dental radiographs, to determine which teeth may require extraction. While the ones that are loose are obvious, there can sometimes be tooth root abscesses brewing beneath the surface that ultimately result in the tooth requiring extraction. Hopefully this will not be the case, but x-rays are the only way to know for sure. The radiographs will also help in the event an additional dental is ever needed later in life, in order to compare / contrast earlier findings. Hope this makes sense. Best of luck on whatever happens / whatever you decide regarding Oscar.