Lori Hall Webboard User Reg: 06-12-2007
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Kasey is fine with me cleaning his teeth. I use a toothbrush and dog toothpaste, but the back couple of molars have still gotten a little tartar on them. So I got a scraper from a vet supply place that is made for dogs and doesn't have sharp points, so that I can scrape it off. He lays with his head in my lap and lets me scrape, but I can't figure out how to get his mouth to stay open so I can scrape the back bottom molars. Does anyone else do this and have any tips? I tried sticking a ball in his mouth so it would be open (since he practically lives with a ball in his mouth!), but he just spits it out!
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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I'm afraid of the ball idea.
Do you happen to recall if the plaque is mainly on the outward-facing surface?
What I do is pull back the lips (mouth) to expose those back ones to me.
My dogs seem to have plaque on the outside surfaces rather than the inside, and I think it's because of the "washing" by saliva on the inward-facing surfaces. (Not universal, BTW.)
Could you start with that squirty stuff to try and soften the tartar? Supposedly it helps to dissolve plaque along the gum-line. The brand is C.E.T. I don't remember how much it was, but the bottle lasts a loooong time.
Lori Hall Webboard User Reg: 06-12-2007
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The plaque IS on the outside surface. But when he closes his mouth, the bottom molars are covered up by the top ones, so that I cant get to them unless his mouth is open.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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Quote: Lori Hall
The plaque IS on the outside surface. But when he closes his mouth, the bottom molars are covered up by the top ones, so that I cant get to them unless his mouth is open.
Well, I'm not going to make this a blanket recommendation , but my fingers in the dog's mouth pretty much keeps the teeth apart enough for me to reach those molars.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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I just tried my brushing position with the bigger dog to see if I had hints for m.o. that I was doing automatically.
Not really, but lying on my lap on the sofa seems to relax him enough to not trigger that gaggy reaction, and I don't keep my fingers in there for long -- just a few seconds, then release, then a few more seconds ....
Of course, I'm just brushing, so not sure how de-plaque tools are.
Lori Hall Webboard User Reg: 06-12-2007
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I think I'll go ahead and get some of that softening stuff and then maybe I'll be able to just brush it off with time. The scraper is a little harder to maneuver cause you have to have it at just the right angle - like the horrible dental hygienist tools!!
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
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Quote: lori hall
I think I'll go ahead and get some of that softening stuff and then maybe I'll be able to just brush it off with time. The scraper is a little harder to maneuver cause you have to have it at just the right angle - like the horrible dental hygienist tools!!
That sounds like a good idea. Even if it's not very successful where plaque has already accumulated (and who knows? Maybe it will be successful), I like that stuff. Purely anecdotal and unscientific, of course.
It apparently tickles the dogs' gums, from the kind of "ripple" that two of their lips and tongues do ...
Tracy Collins Webboard User Reg: 10-09-2008
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I was also going to offer the suggestion of putting your hand in his mouth but felt hinky about offering it as a suggestion for everyone/every dog.
But for a dog that you KNOW is amenable, it works just fine. Mine all have a weekly tooth-brushing and occasional scaling, so they're used to having my hands in their mouths, and I'm 100% confident that none would ever consider biting me. When I need them to open up wider, I just stick my free hand in and open their mouth. Usually while saying, "don't forget, that's my hand in there!" I haven't been bitten yet. Lots of slobber. Kasey seems like he's that kind of dog too--I bet you could just use your free hand to pry open the mouth long enough to scrape a tooth.
I use a plaque product called Petzlife, and it seems to work pretty well. And they must like the taste of it (claims to be "salmon flavored") because mine are always eager for tooth-brushing. It's a kind of gel consistency, and I use it instead of toothpaste.
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Cleaning back molars
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, but my fingers in the dog's mouth pretty much keeps the teeth apart enough for me to reach those molars.
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