{"id":2317,"date":"2017-07-27T14:48:01","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T19:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/caringdentists.com\/blog\/?p=2317"},"modified":"2017-07-27T15:08:01","modified_gmt":"2017-07-27T20:08:01","slug":"dr-gentrys-article-in-arlington-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/dr-gentrys-article-in-arlington-magazine\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Gentry’s Article on How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Arlington Magazine <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"dr_philip_gentry\"<\/p>\n

Dr. Gentry with his dog, Luna, who often accompanies him to the office<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Want to keep your pooch\u2019s pearly whites in tip-top condition? Local dentist (and devoted dog owner) Philip Gentry<\/a> offers this step-by-step advice for keeping Fido\u2019s smile healthy and clean:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Use a specially designed dog toothbrush and pet toothpaste.<\/strong> Never, never<\/em>, use human toothpaste. It\u2019s not meant to be swallowed and will irritate a dog\u2019s stomach. \u00a0Two brands that I recommend are Sentry Petrodex Enzymatic toothpaste for dogs (poultry or peanut butter flavor) or Arm & Hammer\u2019s Advanced Pet Care Enzymatic dog toothpaste (chicken or beef flavor).<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> Gently introduce the toothpaste by allowing your dog to lick it off your finger.<\/strong> Do this first, before you bring a toothbrush into the picture.<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong>\u00a0Next, use your finger to rub the toothpaste around the outside<\/em> of the teeth and gums.<\/strong> Avoid the inside surface so as not to be bitten.<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong> Once your dog gets used to the drill, you can introduce a toothbrush.<\/strong> Be sure to consider the size of your dog when choosing a toothbrush (smaller brush and head for a small dog; larger and longer brush for a bigger dog). \u00a0Look for a soft brush that has bristles on both sides of the handle. Pet stores also sell finger brushes that fit over your fingertip.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> Brush daily at a relaxed time in a location with plenty of light.<\/strong> Start brushing the front teeth and work backward, moving the brush in a circular motion. Lift the dog\u2019s lip so you can see better.<\/p>\n

6.<\/strong> Reward your pup with praise and petting.<\/strong> Make it a fun experience. It\u2019s okay to give treats, too\u2014ideally dental chews that are specifically designed to remove plaque and tartar. I like Greenies brand.<\/p>\n

7.<\/strong> Avoid giving your dog table scraps and sweets.<\/strong> They will cause plaque build-up, decay and gum disease. Note: the sweetener Xylitol (which is found in candy, gum, human toothpaste, certain protein bars and other products) is toxic to dogs! \u00a0Click here for a complete list <\/a>of products that contain Xylitol.<\/p>\n

8.<\/strong> Don\u2019t stress if you can\u2019t reach all of your dog\u2019s teeth.<\/strong> Start the very first brushing with a goal of doing 10 seconds on the front teeth. Then work your way up to one minute, brushing all the teeth.<\/p>\n

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Related Stories:<\/em><\/p>\n

How Much Would You Spend on Your<\/em> Pet?\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Guide to Local Pet Businesses<\/a><\/p>\n

Arlington\u2019s Cutest Pet Contest 2017<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arlington Magazine Dr. Gentry with his dog, Luna, who often accompanies him to the office Want to keep your pooch\u2019s pearly whites in tip-top condition? Local dentist (and devoted dog owner) Philip Gentry offers this step-by-step advice for keeping Fido\u2019s smile healthy and clean: 1. Use a specially designed dog toothbrush and pet toothpaste. Never, … Continue reading Dr. Gentry’s Article on How to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth.<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[11,120,30,121,10,101,12,71,15,17,16],"class_list":["post-2317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-philip-gentry-dental-articles","tag-arlington","tag-brushing-dogs-teeth","tag-dental","tag-dental-care-for-pets","tag-dentist","tag-dentistry","tag-dr-gentry","tag-dr-philip-gentry","tag-northern-virginia","tag-philip-gentry","tag-virginia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2317"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2324,"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2317\/revisions\/2324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.caringdentists.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}