How can I get my dog's teeth back to white?

Question

They're not terrible - she's only one and a half, but I feel that they shouldn't even be turning brown at this point! She's gets crusty chalk colored coating on her teeth that I can literally chip off - but the teeth are brownish underneath now!

Here's what I already do:
1. Put doggie-safe flouride in her water
2. Brush every once in a while (when she'll let me!)
3. Feed her dry food
4. Give her rawhides

She doesn't like chewing on those bumpy dental bones ... any tips are welcome!!

Answer 1

Sounds like you are doing everything right. How do her gums look--could she have infected gums that are causing tooth decay? Have you had her teeth professionally cleaned by a vet? I would try that, and while you are there they can give you tips or help with maintaining the clean teeth. The vet may be able to reccommend supplements that will help with her teeth. Also, just like humans, some dogs just have rotten teeth, so consulting with a vet can only help (if you have not done so already). Good luck!

Answer 2

rawhides could be making it worse, and are the #1 non-natural cause of death in dogs (#2 is fish hooks, go figure...)

are you feeding kibble or cans? canned food sometimes causes more problems, becasue a dog isn't getting any type of 'brushing' motion. when a dog eats a kibble, it scrapes a bit of the plaque off the teeth when it's being chewed.

for treats, try greenies. they're not bumpy, and dogs go nuts for them. there's been some bad stories lately, but they're still safe. just make sure to monitor your pet, to make sure she's not trying to swallow the whole thing. if she has no problems with rawhides, greenies should be ok.

the veterinary oral health council recognizes the fact that greenies help remove plaque and tartar from the dog's teeth. they also recommend that you only go in for vet cleanings when needed, because they often have to put the dog under, which is never good, and NOT CHEAP.

bones work good too, now and then. basically, anything that will create a scraping sensation when your dog chews it. my 16 year old used to have teeth cleanings yearly, but not anymore, since i switched back to a kibble diet, and started giving her a greenie every day or so...

Answer 3

Dogs don't need fluoride. If you put too much fluoride in the water, it can lead to brown spots and weird calcification-looking spots. That's how they found out that fluoride helps prevent cavities in people--researchers heard about a town where everybody had brown teeth and no cavities--their water supply was naturally really high in fluoride. Skip the fluoride and just brush her teeth for a while and see if they don't look better.

Answer 4

Not sure if you can get her teeth completely white again, but you do need to take her to the Vet for a cleaning...then brown gunk is tarter that you are chipping off of her teeth.....then ask them how to keep the tarter form building up so fast.

Answer 5

I don't know how much it will help, but you can try these things:

1. You can try to brush here teeth more often

2. Some vets offer dental cleanings

Answer 6

Your dog may be one that will have to have teeth cleaned yearly. I would take your dog in and ask about teeth cleaning. If you let the plaque go on it can cause bacteria to grow and that can cause problems in all other body organs

Answer 7

Tartar build up!
Call your local vet to ask about a special died that will clean your dogs teeth to the gums.
You may want to be wary of periodontal disease!

Answer 8

You could try to get a plaque scrapper and try to scrap it off but its probably risky something could go wrong. Just keep doing what your doing the brushing and floride should work.

Answer 9

I think the best way to find out is to take him to the Vet!