The Best Dog Toothbrushes For Your Pup To Use

It’s important for your canine companion to have the best dental care available. At one point, dog teeth were designed to be sharp.

Today, canine teeth are designed with softer materials like soft bristles that soften when your dog chews or tries to pull on them. If you have a dog that cheats on its teeth, you need a good toothbrush for dogs.

You might wonder what makes a good dog dental health brush versus a bad one. After all, most dog owners don‘t have time for a thorough dental examination and brushing every day. The reason: most dogs need only a quick toothpick or tap to get an urgent dental care issue.

We've created this buying guide for pet owners to help them choose the right kind of dog oral hygiene product. Read on for the information you‪ll need to make the most informed purchase.

Dog Toothbrush Tips

Dog toothbrush cleaner is available in several different formulations. Because of this, you should carefully consider the type of dog toothpaste that’s right for your canine friend.

Disposable dog teethbrush cleaners can be used many times, but they‘re not the best option if you have very clean teeth. When choosing a dog dental cleaner, consider how often your dog needs to brush. Some dog owners believe that daily brushing your dog's teeth is enough, while others prefer a more intense brushing regime.

It's also important to consider your pet s sensitive skin. If your pooch is particularly sensitive to the chemicals in dental care cleaners, we recommend that you consider a chemical-free option.

Dog Toothbrush Considerations

There are several factors to consider when choosing a dog toothbrush. Our expert, Dr. Lori Bierbrier, recommends finding a model that’s both durable and easy to clean.

A dog can't brush the entire surface of his teeth, so he needs a brush that can reach all the hard-to-reach areas. He also recommends choosing between manual and electric models.

• Manual

• Electric

Toothbrush designs vary, too, and if you have a small dog or a very picky eater, you might want a more compact model. Be sure to choose a design that will work for your pet's size, oral health, or even dental health.

The primary feature to look for in a canine or dog toothpaste is how easy it is to use. Some models have plastic or silicone tips, while others are made of rubber, silicone, foam, rubberized plastic, plastic with a texture, hydrophobic or hydrogel, soft bristles all of which are grippy surfaces to pick up dirt.

It's also helpful to find a tooth brush with an ergonomic design to prevent your pup from biting his or her way through the brush. Having the right brush in your kitchen cabinet will make it easier for you to keep your pooch healthy and happy.

Dog Toothbrush Prices

Dog toothbrush prices range from $15 to $125.

• Inexpensive

At $150 and below, you’ll find a number of traditional toothpastes that are fine for occasional brushing. These work well for dogs with sensitive teeth that easily build up plaque and tartar, but they're not the best choice for more frequent brushing.

• Mid-range

Most of the toothpaste in this price range is good for daily brushing, though some in the $200 to approximately $250 range may include a travel size tooth brush. Travel tooth brushes are often limited in how much they can accommodate as a dental health, so you may not be able to take the entire brush with you.

• Expensive

For $350 and above, the dog toothpicks featured in our product list will include travel-size or extra-large models. You'll also find premium tooth-brushing sets that include several types of tootbrushes.

At this higher price point, both the brushes and the sets may be manufactured by a reputable company. Additionally, some may have a soft and comfortable brush head that doesn't irritate your dog's gums but is very useful to remove plaque and tartar for dental health care.

Dog Toothbrush Buying Features

Most dog toothbrush pods are made of silicone, but some are softer, meaning they won’t damage your dog‘s teeth. The main factor to consider is how easy the pod is to clean. If your pup is likely to chew on anything they come in contact with, you might want to look for a harder pod.

• Weight

If you have more than one dog, it's likely that they all want a chew toy at some point. You don't want them to get frustrated and give up on it altogether, so make sure your choice of dog chew toys is something that's manageable for them.

• Durability 

You want your dogs to be able to keep using their chewtoy for as long as possible, even if they can‖t chew all the pieces. As long they re still able chew, they should be fine.

• Padding 

Padded chew tins are designed to prevent your pooch from losing their toys. Since most dogs don't have great jaw strength, a good chunk of the toys should have padding to help prevent them from falling out.

• Cleaning 

The more features a dog toy has, the better. All the features should allow for easy, mess-free cleaning, and the most advanced dog toys usually have UV light-resistant material.

About Dog Toothbrushes

When most of us think about dog teeth, we think of the molars and teeth of dogs, but there are other kinds of canine teeth that are important for giving dogs the best experience in life.

Teeth on the canine head are usually flat, whereas on other animals, such as cats and horses, there is a gap between the premolars, or masticating teeth.

Dogs have molar teeth because they have no teeth on their lower muzzles. This means that the lower jaw must scoop food into their mouths to munch on it before they can finally spit it out. If the teeth in your dog’s mouth are flat and muddied, it's harder for him to get all the food in his mouth into his throat.

He may also choke on bits of food or spit them out too early, which can be inconvenient. The flat surface also means there aren‘t any gaps between tooth surfaces for the dog to chew on, so food is less likely to stick.

What's more, the flat maw of a dog means he can easily scoop up small pieces of fruit and vegetables from the floor, too. As it turns out, dogs have very similar mouthing patterns to those of cats.

Here are also some ingredients you might want to consider for your pup's toothpaste to avoid having bad breath and will help keep maintain brushing your dog's teeth fun: baking soda, enzymatic toothpaste, and non-menthol ingredients.

That means most dogs will be able to successfully use a toothbrush for dogs to clean their teeth – and they like to do it frequently. Some dogs even have elaborate tooth brushing routines that involve lots of chewing and swallowing.