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My dog's back teeth are dirty. What are effective cleaning options?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Cattle Dog | Male | neutered | 141 lbs

My dog’s back teeth are nasty looking, yellowing and some darker color build up on there. I give him a denta stix every day and his front teeth have gotten really white but the back teeth haven’t improved. I try to brush his teeth but he really hates it, my question is, what other options are there that really work to help dogs teeth, especially the back teeth

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 5th, 2017

Hello, you'll likely need to scale the tartar accumulation off of his back teeth so that you can have an easier time keeping them clean. Ideally, after their teeth have been scaled, brushing their teeth and using dental treats may help keep their teeth clean and white the longest. As in humans, dogs should have a dental exam at least every 6-12 months with a scaling and polishing as needed. Brushing daily and dental chews such as OraVet have worked the best for my clients in the past. Hope this helps and best of luck.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 30th, 2017

    Great questions! First off, it is so awesome you brush Snowie's teeth, that's excellent pet ownership. It is hard to brush the back of a dog's teeth, so yes I would speak to the vet about scheduling a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing. She will be sedated for that, and that will enable the vet to get the plaque off of her back teeth. There really isn't a way to remove it yourself, it's best to have the vet do it for you. I hope this helps, keep up the great work :-)

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