I suppose the obvious answer is toothbrush and paste, but does anyone know of another way, one preferably that is all green and critter friendly?

There is such a thing as dog toothpaste, which contains enzymes that clean up your dogs mouth. It comes in chicken and beef flavors, so my dog loves it. It does freshen up her breath a bit.



There are also cat varieties, but my cat is much less enthusiastic about the process.



the vet can also clean your dog's teeth if they are quite bad, but I think this process involves anesthesia and such.

You can use dental treats and chews, also some types of chew toys. I give my dogs greenies, one a day under supervision, and they have access to nylabones that they love to chew on. My seven and a half boy's teeth look great, better than some one year old dogs' teeth I've seen. Some stuff is great for the teeth and bad for other parts, like the string toys or rawhide. Some people give raw bones, but they can wear down the teeth as well, and potentially cause a GI infection if you're not carefull. There's a liquid that you can put in the water, but I haven't tried it or know anyone who's tried it long term. You can also get other types of tooth brushes, ones that go on the end of your finger for example. I also saw pills and powders that are supposed to break down the tartal and keep the teeth clean, no experience with those either.

You should be sure to buy a swallowable pet toothpaste if you want to try to brush your dog's teeth. People toothpaste has fluoride and isn't meant to be swallowed (and your dog will probably prefer beef flavored tooth paste over mint anyway!).



We used to suggest that people try by first just letting the dog (or cat) lick the toothpaste off their finger or a brush to get used to it, then move up to just a tooth or two, and add a little more brushing every day until they get used to it. Different chew toys are good too, but like cheeky said, you should monitor the pup to make sure he doesn't swallow it.



If there's a lot of tartar build up to begin with, your doggie will need a professional dental cleaning to get rid of all that, then you can start over "from scratch" to keep them clean!

Thanks so much for the suggestions, all. I'm going to look into those things!

My dogs teeth are kept clean through raw bones, though not the large marrow bones that some give as these can break teeth and wear them down. All I can say is that I have never had any dental issues with my dogs and their breath smells of roses. If you can stomach it but don't want to support the meat industry, many butchers and meat suppliers give them free or cheap as they are a waste product. If you do go down this roote look up how to feed raw bones safely to minimize any risk.

if your dog thinks it's weird that you're sticking a toothbrush in their mouth you can wrap some dental floss around your finger and brush with that instead.

There is also a product out- it's like a little glove for your finger with bristles. That's what I use to clean my puppy's teeth and it's not as messy as other products can be!