Did you know that there has been a huge increase in bad dental health in dogs (and cats) over recent years? The only thing that has changed in the last 70 years or so is the diet and the move to the mass-produced, commercial foods.
In the wilderness, a dogs wild counterparts don't get gum disease as rule. They might have broken teeth from fighting or accidents and an infection may result, but make no mistake, this epidemic that is building in our domesticated canine friends is all man-made.
So with the increase in feeding 'modern' food it's more important your dogs' teeth are cleaned than ever before.
Far beyond just the common, and still very painful things like cracked or rotten teeth, bleeding or inflamed gums, periodontal issues can have more, far-reaching consequences:
Links have been made into making worse, or creating things, such as kidney, liver and heart disease, complications with diabetes and even the dreaded cancer. How come? Well, it's the presence of oral bacteria being flushed into the bloodstream through inflamed or bleeding gum tissue. Happily, some conditions can be slowed or reversed once the root (pardon the pun) cause is addressed.
So how can you guard against it?
1) Brush with a natural toothpaste regularly. Get your dog used to it bit by bit and make it a pleasant experience, not torture!
2) Raw bones are a natural cleaner; munching on a larger bone, say one the size roughly of your dogs head, will allow him to work on it, using the action of grinding to remove plaque and food build-up.
3) Raw feeding dogs is a great start - the younger the better. Feeding a species appropriate diet, is not only giving your dog the nutrition he was designed to eat, the act of gnawing at the raw meat acts as a natural toothbrush.
4) Inspect your dogs' mouth. Again, it's better to start as young as possible so he gets used to you fiddling with his mouth. Have a feel for any loose teeth, lumps and bumps on gums and tongue, underneath the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Unpleasant smells that are not food related can often indicate something is amiss.
5) Don't use bought 'dental' sticks unless you know exactly what's in them and/or they are from a reputable source. 99% of the time they are full of rubbish, especially the green ones, with things like propylene glycol (cousin of anti-freeze), allergens such as corn, gluten, soy, and harmful ingredients like excess salt, sugar and animal by-products - NONE of which will clean your dog's teeth and will in fact do the exact opposite.