Do dogs really have cleaner tongues than people?

Question

explain...

Answer 1

They drool which washes away bacteria. I would not go french kissing any dogs but that is where the theory came from.

Cats do not drool (unless something is wrong) and they do have the dirtiest of cat, humans and dogs. To the point a bite can actually cause serious medical conditions.

Answer 2

The answer to that is no.
As we all know, dogs aren't particularly fussy about where they put their tongues or what goes into their mouths.

"A dog's mouth contains a lot of bacteria,
Remember, a dog's tongue is not only his wash cloth but also his toilet paper."

Not only accurate, but delicately put!

people sometimes become quite ill and even die from dog bites.
If a dog's mouth is sterile, how could it transmit rabies, tetanus, pasteurella or any of the other types of infections associated with dog bites?

There is a reason for the term, "dog breath." Serious pathogens can exist in both human and dog mouths as part of the normal flora, but we at least, can brush our teeth. Think about all the rotting food and treats from the kitty litter box that get stuck between a dog's teeth. My Corgi rolled in elk excrement once, and she spent quite some time happily licking it off. Do you really think her mouth was cleaner than yours is? Let's sum things up here. Dogs lick their butts.

Answer 3

enzymes in their mouths kill more germs then human saliva, so the MOUTH is cleaner, but the teeth are not ;)
Since dogs have a much shorter digestive track than people it means they have to break down food, etc much faster. Since saliva is the first stage of digestion dogs have much stronger enzymes in their saliva to get the digestion process started. These enzymes kill off harmful bacteria much more so than human saliva does.

So in reality the dogs mouth is not neccesarily cleaner it's just that the harmful bacteria is killed off faster.

lots of cuts , burns etc on my hands and since a dog will licking your or their own wounds they seem to heal much faster.


Human mouths contain more bacteria than dogs. Dogs clean their teethe by chewing on rocks, wood, bones etc. MOST humans don't even brush twice a day.


Human beings assault the germs in their mouths with an arsenal including toothpaste, breath mints, dental floss and mouthwash.

In a dog's mouth, the germs go mano a mano. In that survival-of-the-fittest, free-for-all atmosphere, good bacteria take on bad bacteria. The result, a sort of nature's-own Listerine LOL

Answer 4

Because of the nature of a bite (puncture wound from k9 teeth) The risk of infection from any animal is horrendous. So NEVER leave an animal bite unattended.

The bacteria count is in a constant state of change with any animal, humans included. So you are asking a question that really doesn't have an answer. First thing you would need to know is how long has it been since either brushed their teeth, used mouth wash, or even had a drink of water (or licked their fanny)

Answer 5

It’d depend on how long ago the person brushed their teeth and how healthy the dog’s teeth where, I think.

If the person brushed twice a day and used mouthwash like Listerine, they’d have less than the dog.

But if the person hadn’t brushed their teeth for ages (say a week or more) and the dog had perfect teeth and gums, you’d probably find that the human would have more.

The bacteria would be different though, so even if your dog has good dental hygiene it’s not a good idea to let it lick your face, or to not wash your hands after it’s licked you.

Answer 6

yes and no...
"Doctors have always preached that the mouth is the second most contaminated orifice in the body. Hey, we're not even calling veterinary medicine in on this! I don't know many adult humans who lick their anal opening and then "kiss" other humans on the mouth. But dogs do it. Their mouths are grossly contaminated, as are the mouths of most animals and pets. "
i'd say we bot hhave equally disgusting mouths

Answer 7

No. I know a man who let his dog keep licking an open wound on his leg because he believed it would help heal it. Yuk! Not the case as the wound got very badly infected & the doctor told him that dogs tongues are full of nasty bacteria.

Answer 8

mythbusters did a show on this and well the dogs mouth was cleaner than the humans

Answer 9

No,but dogs saliva do fight some bacterias in better ways than the human saliva can.

Answer 10

Yes, they do. They are able to process bacteria better than humans, so they are cleaner!!!