Looking After Your Dog’s Teeth
Dogs generally don’t have dental cavities. even when they have a poor diet. One study revealed that only 5.8 percent of teeth examined in dogs contained cavities. And many of the teeth that were found to have cavities were so loose and had such extremely receded gums that those teeth were mostly useless to the dog anyway.
Dogs don’t develop the same type of painful cavities that humans do. Dog cavities are not a result of decay, but are caused by grinding the tips of the teeth away to the point that the enamel wears off and exposes the pulp of the tooth.
Surprisingly few dogs have dental problems as the direct result of malnutrition during their development growth stages. Abandoned dogs, and the offspring of abandoned dogs that have never had the benefit of human care and appear to be emaciated or malnourished, will generally be found to have teeth that are as good or better than pets that have been spoiled.
The reason for this is that dogs that are allowed to run wild can just about always find enough bones to provide the calcium and phosphorus necessary for good tooth development. Their diets may be deficient in minerals that contribute to other health problems, but if a dog can find bones on a regular basis, he will generally have good teeth. The dogs with the worst teeth are generally those raised in kennels or homes that feed primary dog biscuits and meat-based diets that are deficient in phosphorous. Dogs that are fed meal-type dog foods, since those feeds generally contain a sufficient amount of dried ground bone, will usually have good teeth. Bone meal is one of the most inexpensive ingredients that can be added to dog food that will contribute to the dog’s good dental health.
The quality of a dog’s teeth has little to do with the consistency of the food he eats, so canned or dry food in and of itself makes little difference. It is the mineral content of the food that makes the difference. The only advantage of dry food over canned is that a food that has an abrasive surface will help clean the teeth. Dogs that are fed exclusively canned or soft food will generally have heavy tartar deposits.
Giving your dog a big flat beef rib bone, and ensuring the chews it in a place where it can’t be contaminated by worm eggs, is one of the best dental care measures you can take. Chewing through the bone will keep his teeth clean and white, and ingesting the bone will provide the minerals necessary to keep his teeth healthy.