February is National Pet Dental Health Month!
Sponsored by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), the month of February is dedicated to National Pet Dental Health!
There are also fascinating facts behind your dog’s pearly whites! Let’s take a closer look at some of these things you may not know about your dog’s teeth below.
All Dogs Have 2 Sets of Teeth!
Puppy teeth (known as “milk teeth”) begin to fall out (or are swallowed while eating) giving way to adult dog teeth between 4-6 months of age. The root of the tooth is then naturally absorbed into the gum.
Dogs Have MORE Teeth Than You!
Puppies only have 28 milk teeth while adult dogs have 42 teeth! Humans? We typically have 32 permanent, adult teeth.
Dogs Use Their Teeth Differently.
Brown Dog Playing with a Canine Dental Toy in his Mouth
Humans typically grind their teeth against each other to pulverize our food. But your dog’s teeth are designed much differently! The long and pointy canines in the front are designed for:
grasping
lifting and
pulling
while the large teeth in the back of the mouth create a slicing action due to their shape.
K9 Cavities are Extremely Rare!
The bacteria in a canine’s mouth is much different from our oral bacteria. As such, dogs rarely have cavities because they do not consume as much sugar as their human guardians. The sugar consumed by humans is metabolized into acid which leads to cavities. So, when feeding your dog foods with high sugar content, like sweet potatoes, bananas or other fruits, only do so in moderation!
K9 Dental Products are Not Created Equal!
When shopping for dog dental products, remember not all products are created equal or even safe for your dog!
AVOID the two ingredients below (along with 5 others)!
Avoid Alcohol in Dog Dental Products
Avoid Sugar Substitutes in Dog Dental Products