If Bones are Good for Dogs Teeth - is Gnawing at Bones good for Human Teeth and Gums?

Answer 1

I'm a dentist.

Kat is mistaken. Human teeth are not supposed to touch for 20 minutes a day. The ONLY time they're supposed to touch is when you swallow.

That aside, gnawing on bones is not good for human teeth and gums. However, you raise a very interesting question I'd like to address.

Although tooth decay has been a problem throughout the history of mankind, you have to wonder why it seems to be so much more of a problem in modern times (especially before we started fluoridating water).

A lot of that has to do with our diet. Our diets nowadays consists of much more sugary food than it did hundreds of years ago. Moreover, whereas predecessors tended to eat more fresh and abrasive foods that dislodged plaque from their teeth, people of today tend to eat softer foods that tend to allow plaque to build up more readily.

So, your question is a good one. And you're on the right track; gnawing on bones is good for dogs because it dislodges plaque and tartar from their teeth. Likewise, more abrasive foods are good for cleaning our teeth.

Of course, where bones specifically are concerned, you have to remember that a dog's dentition and masticatory system are very different than our own. As far as I know, carnivores are unable to move their jaws side to side, which gives their jaws much more stability and allows their bite to be vastly stronger than our own--hence, carnivores do tend to have a much stronger bite than we do. (herbivores and omnivores can move their jaws side to side because it allows grinding, which is necessary for eating plant matter). Additionally, dogs teeth are sharp, from front to back, and better able to break apart a bone. Their sharp canines and carnassials will break apart a bone and be cleaned as it passes into the bone. In contrast, our blunt rear molars will not break through a bone--even if our jaws were strong enough to crush bone. Moreover, even if we could crush bone, our molars wouldn't be cleaned by the bone.

Answer 2

Not particularly. Human teeth are only intended to touch for about 20 minutes of the day, while you are eating. A lot of dentists discourage chewing gum because it puts undue stress on the mandibular muscles, in the same way that grinding your teeth or popping your jaw does.

Answer 3

NO!!! It can cause shipped teeth and you could actually crack a tooth. A cracked tooth is very hard to diagnose, and usually the only treatment is to have a crown put over it.

Answer 4

No, you need to brush them and use dental floss. Sorry!

And your dog should have his teeth brushed also. ...but not too many people actually do it....so they say give them bones to help knock off the gunk.

Answer 5

natural bone is not good for dogs. the bone frays at the ends and it can scrape the dogs esophagus.