Quote:
Originally Posted by alaskayorkie  It's funny, my first vet who once owned Yorkies himself said it wasn't worth the effort of brushing. He said it was all genetics anyway. He recommended an annual cleaning and said don't fret when their teeth need to be removed because they can eat just fine without them.
Fortunately, YTers told me otherwise. I'm sure an annual cleaning would have been even better, but I can't help but think I've saved a couple thousand dollars by brushing. If he can go another 4-5 years before the next cleaning, there's a couple more thousand -- all for a minute a day or less. |
There's no doubt genetics places a huge role in the built-up of tartar, after all, some breeds, like yorkies, have a much bigger problem with tartar than other breeds, so this shows us genetics is involved. Some tinies have such small jaws that teeth don't fit properly and overcrowding occurs; this also can lead to increased tartar buildup. However, I think there are things we can do to increase the length of time our dogs get to keep their teeth, and I think a yearly dental exam is extremely important, and this will tell you if what you're doing is effective.
Mike, it wasn't that long ago when dentists said the same thing about humans. They just expected people to lose their teeth.