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When should I start brushing my puppy's teeth and giving Dentastix?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 1 month and 29 days old | 2 lbs

I have a puppy that's about 8 weeks old, when should I start brushing his teeth or giving him denta stix?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on February 19th, 2017

You can start teaching Jax to have his teeth brushed now - the earlier, the better! :) Make sure to use a soft baby toothbrush, and a toothpaste designed for dogs since human toothpaste is toxic for them. Dentastix are also fine to give him now, as long as he's able to chew them. If they're too hard, you may need to wait until he has all of his adult at 6 months old before he can eat them easily.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 5th, 2018

    The earlier you get your puppy to get used to brushing teeth, the less problems you will have later actually brushing its teeth. You can use an enzymatic tooth paste which gets applied to the teeth only and then rub your fingers along the gums and teeth. Later you can use a soft doggie tooth brush and gently brush your dog's teeth. Do this 2-3 times a week. Dental chews are a nice treat, but not nearly as effective as brushing teeth.

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