Teeth Cleaning For Good Health
By Roseann Fucillo
Published in December 2003 AKC GAZETTE

The best gift you can give your Papillon is the gift of good health care.  One of the keys to a healthy Papillon is to practice a program of oral hygiene and regular professional dental care to prevent periodontal disease.

Plaque is a film that forms on teeth and, if not removed, combines with food residue to turn into a hard crust called tartar.  As tartar builds up it can damage the gums, allowing bacteria to invade the bone and destroy the periodontal ligament.  This leads to abscesses and tooth loss.  Bacteria can also enter the bloodstream through the gums and can infect various internal organs, leading to more serious health problems such as heart, kidney, or liver disease.

Ideally, teeth cleaning should be done daily.  An effective way to clean teeth is by using a child’s battery-powered toothbrush.  I find it cleans better than a regular toothbrush, and is round and small enough to get to those hard-to-reach spots like molars.  To clean the toothbrush I rinse it in hot water, then in a solution of alcohol.

Rarely do puppies under a year old need teeth cleaning.  However, I like to start out a youngster gradually just to get him used to it.  I use Petrodex poultry-flavored toothpaste and reapply it whenever necessary.  I finish up the last application using Oxyfresh Pet Gel because it contains aloe vera and is soothing to the gums.  I then spray on Oxyfresh pet deodorizer or Nolvadent oral cleansing solution.  I also use a product purchased from my vet called C.E.T., which is an oral-hygiene gel, applying it with my fingers into those “pocket” areas on older dogs.

As a supplement to brushing, after bathing I will take the dog’s bath towel and rub it gently on his teeth with my finger.  This is good to do the night before a show because it will easily remove plaque and give the teeth a nice shine.

Years ago, instead of brushing my Papillons’ teeth daily, I used to routinely scale them with dental tools, thinking that I was preventing tooth decay.  I have since learned that scaling teeth myself instead of seeking professional veterinary dental care can cause adverse effects.  Bacteria can spread via the tiny cuts made in the gums with the dental tools.  Your veterinarian may recommend antibiotics be taken before the procedure to prevent the spread of bacteria.  Also, scaling may roughen the surface of the tooth, and tartar adheres more easily to a rough surface than to a smoother, polished one.  Polishing the enamel helps to deter the tartar’s return.  I now leave the dental scaling and polishing to my veterinarian.

It is recommended that Papillons have their teeth professionally cleaned every 6 to 12 months.  However, the frequency will depend on your diligence in brushing, your dog’s diet, and his genes.  Some dogs seem to be more prone to tartar no matter how much dry kibble, bones, rawhide and “Greenies” you give them. 

Before your dog has serious health problems, take the time to clean his teeth.  The short time you spend brushing will add more healthy years to your dog’s life.

Published with permission from the AKC GAZETTE.  This article is not to be copied, whole or in part, without written permission from the author.