A dog's teeth consist of 42 molars and teeth. 4 canines, 12 incisors, 10 large molars and 16 small molars.
The canines are the most important teeth in the set.
Good dental care is very important for your dog.
Poor teeth and unhealthy gums can cause many problems.
Animals in the wild rarely have dental problems.
This is probably partly due to the fact that their food keeps their teeth clean on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, our pets generally do not receive tooth-friendly food, which can cause buildup on the teeth.

What can go wrong in the dog's oral cavity and how can we best prevent these problems?
The buildup on the teeth is also called dental plaque.
Dental plaque is a light-colored, relatively soft layer on the surface of the teeth, consisting of bacteria, bacterial metabolic products, saliva components, food debris and water.
Dental plaque develops mainly along the gum margins and in places where the self-cleaning mechanisms in the oral cavity function less well, such as rough surfaces, the space between the gum and the tooth or molar, places where teeth or molars are too close together, or places where teeth or molars do not fit together properly.
The self-cleaning mechanism of teeth and molars is determined by the flow of saliva, the movements of the lips, cheeks and tongue, and by certain behavior after eating.

In many dogs, we see that after eating they rub their paws along their muzzle or, for example, rub the side of their muzzle along the ground or along a bench or chair.
This is essentially a kind of "teeth brushing". If dental plaque is not sufficiently removed, the number of bacteria in it will increase and more and more "harmful" bacteria will develop. These bacteria produce substances that trigger an inflammatory reaction in the gums.

The inflammation process of the gums is a progressively advancing process that can ultimately even lead to teeth and molars becoming loose. First, the gums will swell and turn red, they will bleed easily when touched. Subsequently, the inflammation can expand to the deeper tissues: a space develops between the tooth or molar and the gum (=pocket). Food debris and bacteria accumulate in these pockets, further aggravating the inflammatory process. The fibers that hold the tooth or molar in place become involved in the inflammation process and break down.
A real abscess can even develop in this pocket. Ultimately, more and more of the tissue surrounding the tooth or molar (=periodontium) is affected by the inflammatory process. This is also called periodontitis, or inflammation of the supporting tissues around the dental elements. The gums recede, causing the tooth neck and root to become partially exposed. In the worst case, there can even be bone loss from the tooth socket and/or an abscess of the tooth socket.
Brushing is of great importance for healthy teeth in dogs......

In the photos below, you can see the teeth of a dog we treated in our grooming salon. We always check the teeth and advise you to visit a veterinarian if necessary. If possible, when the dog allows it, we can remove tartar. Please note the dog must be willing because we do not use anesthesia and/or other sedatives. Removing tartar is not painful, but the dog may find it unpleasant. In that case, we will refer you to the veterinarian.