Promote fresher breath and healthier teeth with our dental care products and chews. Toothbrushes, finger brushes and dental treats help reduce plaque and tartar buildup in a way dogs enjoy. Make oral care part of your dog’s regular routine.
🦷 Dental care
By age 3, 80% of dogs have dental disease. A €350 dental scale-and-polish under anaesthetic is the most common avoidable vet bill in Ireland. Daily brushing + the right chews prevent it. Here's what works (VOHC-approved), what doesn't (most "dental sticks"), and the 60-second routine that takes years off your dog's mouth.
The Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) tests products for plaque + tartar reduction. Look for the VOHC seal — most "dental sticks" don't carry it because they don't pass. Greenies, Whimzees, Oravet are common VOHC-approved brands.
Nothing beats daily brushing. Use enzymatic dog toothpaste (chicken/poultry flavour) — never human paste (xylitol/fluoride). Build up over 2 weeks: paste → brush touching → brush moving → full brush. Enamel only re-mineralises with mechanical action.
Modest effect on bacterial load — useful for owners who can't brush. Look for VOHC-approved (Healthymouth, TropiClean Fresh Breath). Not a brushing replacement; helps as a supplement.
Raw recreational bones (beef knuckle, lamb neck) clean teeth mechanically. NEVER cooked bones — they splinter. Risks: tooth fractures (especially older dogs), choking, pancreatitis if too fatty, contamination. Skip if your dog gulps food or has dental disease already.
Most supermarket "dental sticks" lack VOHC approval and are essentially flavoured carbohydrates with abrasive shape. Better than nothing, no substitute for brushing or actual VOHC products. Watch the calories — Pedigree Dentastix can be 70+ kcal each.
Wet a soft toothbrush or finger brush with enzymatic dog paste. Lift the lip and brush the OUTSIDE surface of the back teeth (the inside surface gets cleaned by the tongue). Skip the inside completely. Reward immediately afterwards. Build up over 2 weeks if your dog hates it.
Replaces (not adds to) your dog's existing daily treat allowance. Sized to your dog — too small = swallow whole, no benefit + choking risk. Greenies, Whimzees, Virbac C.E.T., Oravet are reliable picks.
Lift the lip and look. Healthy gums = pink, no swelling, no red line at the tooth base. Yellow/brown tartar on outer molars = early disease — start brushing if you weren't. Bleeding, bad breath that suddenly worsens, or refusing food on one side = vet now.
Ask your vet to score teeth at the annual booster. Stage 1–2 disease is reversible with home care; stage 3–4 needs anaesthetic scale-and-polish (€250–€450 in Ireland 2026). Catching it early saves big money.
Cooked bones (splinter), nylon "indestructible" chews (fracture teeth), tennis balls (sandpaper enamel), human toothpaste (xylitol kills dogs), antlers (most fracture canines), ice cubes (also fracture). When in doubt, ask the vet.
Our dental care & chews range goes live as we vet suppliers — we won't list anything we wouldn't use ourselves. In the meantime, our calculators, breed guides and AI vet tools below are free and don't need stock.
No. Even VOHC-approved chews reduce plaque by 20–30% — better than nothing but not enough. Combined with daily brushing, they're very effective. As a sole intervention, expect a scale-and-polish every 2–3 years anyway.
Build over 2 weeks: week 1, just paste on your finger, let him lick (positive association). Week 2, paste on the brush, touch a single tooth, reward. Week 3, brush 2–3 outer teeth, reward. Week 4, full mouth (outer surfaces). If he genuinely won't tolerate it after 6 weeks, focus on daily VOHC chews + water additive + earlier dental cleans at the vet.
Scale + polish under general anaesthetic: €250–€450 (2026 prices) depending on size of dog, blood work, and any extractions. Each tooth extraction adds €30–€80. Pre-op blood test €60–€100. So a full dental with 3 extractions can hit €700+.
Some raw-feed advocates swear by them; vets are split. Pros: cheap, mechanical cleaning, calcium. Cons: salmonella/campylobacter risk to humans handling, choking if gulped, pancreatitis if too rich. Never cooked bones (splinter). If you go this route, source from a butcher you trust + supervise every minute.
