Let’s talk teeth: I’ve got a lot of them! And I need to keep them clean and pearly white for all of my time in the spotlight. As I’m sure you can imagine, keeping my mouth clean is a BIG job. Wanna know how I do it? Of course you do! So read on…
First, lemme tell you what I’ve learned from my dad, Dr. Strunck, and the other folks at Grace Park. They said that when I eat, tiny little food particles stay in my mouth. Those particles just sit around in my mouth and eventually combine with bacteria (gross), forming an invisible film on my teeth that the professionals call plaque.
Dad says that I need to be brushing at least once a day to get the plaque off. Well, as most of you probably know, I don’t have opposable thumbs, which makes it kinda difficult to brush my teeth. This is where my people come in handy.
First, the sweet kids in my life help me out and brush my teeth every night…well, almost every night. It’s pretty simple, especially with my big mouth! The kiddos get a toothbrush–nothing fancy–just a regular people toothbrush. Then they put a little blob of pet-friendly toothpaste on it. This part is really important, it’s got to be pet-friendly. Some human toothpastes can make us dogs and cats sick, so be sure your human always uses a pet-friendly, enzymatic toothpaste. I like Virbac Vanilla Mint; it is my favorite flavor!
Next, they use the toothbrush to brush my teeth and gently massage my gums. It doesn’t take much scrubbing. In fact, they just need to get the toothpaste on the outside of my teeth because the special pet toothpaste has enzymes. So these enzymes in the toothpaste apparently do a lot of work. They eat away at the bacteria and plaque in my mouth, even after the kids are done brushing my teeth! Pretty cool, right?
Alrighty, let’s get back to the good stuff. So, dad said if I don’t brush my teeth within about 24 hours of eating, that plaque will start turning into tartar. He said tartar is this gross, rock hard shell that will envelop my teeth and can only be removed with a professional dental cleaning (we’ll get to that in a little bit). So this tartar turns yellowish-brown and will make my teeth look bad and my breath smell awful. And even worse than that, it can make me sick! When that plaque and tartar get up under my gumline, the bacteria can get into my bloodstream! This could make me feel sluggish and run-down, kinda like when you have a cold. And all this bacteria floating around in my bloodstream makes my organs work overtime, which can cause organ damage! Think about it – kidneys, heart, liver – they all play pretty important roles in keeping me going. I have a lot of people counting on me to be around for a long time, so I’m not going to let something like tartar get in the way of that! I’m going to keep my teeth clean so I can stay happy and healthy!
So, I’ve had my teeth brushed – but a dog’s mouth, well, you’ve seen it. Sometimes it takes a little more than just a daily brushing to get the job done. I heard that people brush like three times a day – and floss. A little over the top, if you ask me. Instead of all that – I get treats! No joke. This part is one of my favorites. It’s even better than teeth brushing! My parents get me these special treats that are SOOOOO good and good for me! One is called a Veggie Dent and the other is a CET chew. Both treats have that same enzyme that my toothpaste has in it. So while I’m gnawing on them, they’re working to clean my mouth. It’s pretty awesome, better than flossing. In your face, humans!
There’s also this special food that I heard some dogs get to eat. I can’t have it ‘cause I have something called “allergies”. The dogs I’ve talked to that get it say it’s pretty yummy though. It’s called t/d. T/d are these really big chunks of dog food – they’re woven together, kinda like a compact mini wheat. When us dogs eat it, we really have to chomp down on the bigger chunks and our teeth actually go into the kernel of food. It works like a scrub brush and cleans our teeth as we eat. Sounds yummy and another great way to keep our teeth clean! Lemme know if you ever get to try it.
Now, this next part, while not my favorite, my parents say I have to do at least once a year. They say, “Lupin, we have to go to the dentist every six months! You only have to go once a year!” I guess I get nervous because I’m asleep when I go for my dental appointment, but mom took a video of my sister Penny’s dental so I could see exactly what they were doing.
After I go to sleep, they’ll use this tool called an ultrasonic scaler that uses water, heat, and vibration to knock tartar buildup off my teeth. After that, they’ll put this pink stain on my teeth (don’t worry – it rinses off). This stain will highlight any plaque they might have missed on the first pass. If they missed anything, they’ll go back over my teeth with the scaler again. The Doc then comes in and takes a good look at my mouth. They’re looking for any loose or cracked teeth (on account of ice cube crunching), periodontal pockets, and oral masses. Once the Doc is finished doing that, they’ll polish my teeth and put a fluoride treatment on to make sure they stay nice and strong. Voila! Next thing I know, I’m waking up with clean teeth and fresh breath! Even better – my folks always give me canned food for dinner after a dental – they don’t have to, but they’re cool like that. The next day, it’s back to the regular home dental care – kids brushing my teeth and yummy dental treats – not a bad deal.
So, now you know all about how I keep my chompers nice and clean. Hey – my mom gave me a copy of Penny’s dental cleaning – if you want to see it, click here!
