Oral Hygiene - Help!
 

Hello, everyone.

I've been searching through the forums for an oral hygiene product. Biscuit is 2 years and 5 months and still hasn't taken to tooth-brushing, so he has some tartar buildup on his back teeth from lack of brushing. The color is yellow but his gums look like the usual pink. I think he might have a loose tooth though; it doesn't seem to bother him at all but it does worry me like crazy. I already left the vet a message and am waiting for his call. (Should I be scared of a dental cleaning? I would hate putting Biscuit under anesthesia, but if it's absolutely necessary I suppose it'll have to be done.)

I've come across three products in the forums: Petzlife, ProDen PlaqueOff, and Leba III. The way I understand it, Petzlife comes in a gel/spray, ProDen is a powder that is mixed with food, and Leba III is a spray.

I'm having a bit of trouble deciding which product I should buy. Petzlife and Leba III each contain ethyl alcohol, and ProDen has trace amounts of arsenic (which shouldn't be a problem, according to the website description). Needless to say, I'm a bit frazzled.

I feel like such a bad mom, and I'm just hoping for any advice and recommendations (even some chastisement, that's ok too).

Having said that, Biscuit and I thank you in advance :) :animal-pa

I don't think any of them ever like the tooth brush. You just have to do it.

I brush and then spray with ptezlife. But I am bad, I only do it on bath days, so mine have some tarter also.

I'm not convinced that any of those products are healthy.
Have you looked into Maxiguard?
His teeth really should be brushed though.
Very few pups enjoy it, but you're bigger than him. ;)

If you go ahead with a cleaning (and if there is build up and a loose adult tooth, it is probably needed), the vet can apply OraVet and you can use it weekly after that.

I haven't heard of Maxiguard so I'll look into it. Thank you for the suggestion :)

I'll also do my best with brushing. He's just going to have to put up with an "overbearing" mom!

The possibility of a dental cleaning worries me, but I know that it can be necessary for his health. I'm a worrywart so I'll still lose sleep over it, though :rolleyes:

That's pretty normal. Anesthesia can be scary stuff. :(
Just make sure that your vet is following the right surgical protocol and all should be fine.

I really like the Oxyfresh Pet Gel for "brushing". I use a piece of gauze wrapped around my finger as the toothbrush. They still don't like it, but tolerate it much better than any type of actual brush, even a finger one. I hen use a q-tip to apply soem Bluto's Yummy Brun Brush by Aromadog. Neither of these contain ethyl alcohol or arsenic.....

Yes, anesthesia is one of my main concerns. :(
I'll definitely be questioning the vet if the procedure has to be done.

I think I'll try the gauze, LuvMySissy. I've tried a fingerbrush without success so this sounds like a good way to do it. I'll also look into the products you mentioned. (When I read "alcohol" and "arsenic" in the ingredients list I kind of had a :eek: moment, but I know some people here use those products so I wanted some feedback.)

Again, thanks everyone!

Where do you buy the oxyfresh?

I hate to have to bump this thread up, but the vet came to look at Biscuit while I was napping. My mother handled things and told me what went on.

According to the vet, the loose tooth is a baby tooth and the adult tooth is "coming in". How likely is it that the adult tooth still hasn't emerged? Biscuit is 2 years and 5 months. I would have expected the adult tooth to grow next to, or near to, the baby tooth.

Either way, he's going to get that loose tooth extracted tomorrow. What bothers me is that they didn't talk about the possibility of infection or periodontal disease. I KNOW his back teeth are yellow and that his breath is stinky. His gums look a healthy pink but I haven't been able to properly look at the gums in the far back. The possibility that the loose tooth (which has buildup) is an adult tooth worries me.

I also don't know the regular procedure for a tooth extraction. I know that they're usually done while spaying/neutering, or when there are double rows of teeth... but what if there's an infection? Wouldn't bloodwork be necessary? How about x-rays? And if the tooth is already loose, will he be under anesthesia or sedation? I really wish someone had woken me up. I would've run my mouth off.

I'll be going to the appointment tomorrow and will ask questions, but any thoughts are welcome.

Yes, they have to be sedated and now would be a good time to have a cleaning. I also do the blood work prior to sedation.
Don't let it worry you , mine are 4 and 5 have lost several of their front teeth, they do fine without them.

I don't know much but I would think they would have there permanent teeth before 2.

I wrote down the Anesthesia/Surgery Protocol and hung it on my wall. I just wasn't sure about mild sedation with a loose tooth.

I checked his mouth again and his teeth aren't that bad in comparison to what I've looked at online, but I'm considering the cleaning and will ask about it. (I don't think the vet suggested it, but he might tomorrow.)

Thanks for the response :]

Good luck with the vet visit!

I just want to add our experience on the tarter issue - we have none! :) And we don't brush! We just had her annual check up last month and the vet was amazed.

My Bailey is 2.5 years old; she had a few baby teeth extracted when she was spayed at 7 mos. I feed Bailey a homemade raw diet with lien hamburger, eggs, rice, cottage cheese, etc. I contribute her no-tarter and no-bad breath to her diet.

This diet was created by my mom who has extensive knowledge in dog nutrition. True Story: once, my mom took in a rescue who had heartworm and needed a dental really bad. They couldn't do the dental due to the heartworm treatment. However, after several weeks on this diet, his mouth healed and it was determined that a dental was no longer necessary! Even mom was amazed with the quick results from this raw recipe.

If you're interested in the recipe, I'd be glad to post it or pm you. Its all human grade ingredients you can purchase from the grocery store (with the exception of a few supplements - i.e bone meal and potassium) I don't want to portray this a the "miracle food" - but as far as teeth are concerned, we swear by it!! :)

If it's a baby tooth, it should be pulled at this age.
Occasionally vets use a local anesthetic if if it is only going to tak e couple minutes, but if they are doing a cleaning too (and they should be if the back ones are yellow), then the protocol for anesthesia applies. Bloodwork should be done before.

Karrie, that sounds amazing! I never really considered feeding him a raw diet until I started reading about it here in the forums. I don't know if I'll be making the transition soon, but I'm definitely interested in the recipe. Thank you very much for the thoughtful response :)

Ellie May, it thankfully appears to be his only baby tooth. I hope he won't have to go under for the tooth extraction, but I'll ask for bloodwork if that's what they suggest. I'll also ask for the cleaning. Thanks again, I feel more prepared and less like a neurotic nut.

You can find it on Ebay......