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Dog won't let me brush, bad breath & teeth. Time for a vet cleaning?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Bichon Frise | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 6 months old | 9 lbs

My dog will not allow me to brush his teeth. I have tried alternatives like dental sticks or chews that are supposed to help remove plaque and tartar control as well as a water additive for fresh breath in his water bowl. His breath is starting to stink and some of his teeth are not looking too well. Is it too late to take him to get his teeth cleaned or should I just go straight to a vet?

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 2nd, 2019

Ouch, Frankie really needs a dental cleaning under anesthesia by your veterinarian. This looks very painful. The best way to keep your dogs teeth clean is to brush. Since he does not let you brush his teeth, you can get some enzymatic dog tooth paste and just rub it on his teeth. Frankie will then do the rest by himself. Also, I find Greenies the best chews. But the tartar on his teeth will not come off other than with a dental cleaning. Greenies and tooth paste can only prevent reocurrence of the tartar and plaque and gingivitis.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 4th, 2017

    Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The best way to remove plaque and keep it from coming back is to brush Dewie's teeth once daily with a toothbrush and doggy friendly toothpaste you can purchase at your local pet supplies store. One toothpaste I'd recommend is CET enzyme toothpaste by Virbac. Some toys and chewables work and some don't work as well as others. As far as chewables go, I'd recommend OraVet dental chews- your veterinarian may have these or these can be purchase online. There are dental sprays you can buy from your local pet supply store as well that can help as well. However, the signal best way is by brushing daily! I hope this helps and thanks again for posting.

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 20th, 2018

    Absolutely! This amount of tartar is harboring a lot of stinky bacteria which cause tooth roots to rot and gingivitis which facilitates these bacteria to enter the rest of the body and the potential of causing of kidney and heart disease. Your dog may also have a tooth root abscess somewhere which also would cause a bad mouth odor. The easiest way to clean the teeth after a professional dental cleaning under sedation would be to get some enzymatic tooth paste for dogs and just applying it on the teeth with your finger. There is no need to brush as by closing its mouth your dog will help the enzymatic tooth paste support the self-cleaning mechanism of the teeth. There is no point in brushing the teeth now before the professional cleaning as you would not be able to remove the tartar that way.

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