Brushing your pet's teeth is an essential part of maintaining their overall health. When it comes to dental care, most pet parents know the importance of brushing their pet’s teeth. But brushing can be a difficult and daunting task for you and your furry friend - especially one that’s not used to having its mouth handled.

Here are some tips to help make brushing your pet’s teeth easier:

  1. Start slow – Get your pet used to having its mouth touched and handled before introducing a brush or other dental cleaning tools. Start by gently rubbing the outside of the lips and then gradually start running your finger along the gums and teeth until they get used to the sensation. This will also help you get familiar with how their mouth looks and feels, so when you do introduce a brush, it won't be such an unfamiliar experience.

  2. Introduce treats – Give your pet a special treat after each brushing session as a reward for being brave! This will motivate them to cooperate more in future brushing sessions.

  3. Make it fun – Having someone else involved in the process makes it more enjoyable for both you and your pet! Have another family member or friend call out commands (like open or stay) while you offer rewards after each brushing session as incentive for good behavior. You can even make up games related to brushing, like counting how many teeth they have together while handling the brush in different areas of their mouths!

  4. Establish a routine – Establish a routine with your pet, so they become accustomed to having their teeth brushed on a regular basis at least once per week, ideally daily if needed! This helps create positive associations with the activity, making it easier over time because they'll learn to expect it rather than dreading something new every time you pull out their toothbrush from the drawer.

  5. Be patient – Brushing can take time! And remember - if your furry companion isn't cooperating with this task, don't force them - simply put away their brush until next time when they're feeling more cooperative again (which will hopefully happen soon!)

  6. Have the right Tools – If you have a larger mouth dog, it can take a while to get every angle with a standard toothbrush. Tropicleans's toothbrush is long and has multi-angled bristles to cut brushing in half! If you have a smaller dog or pet, Tropiclean makes a finger tooth brush to help get in small spaces. Finally Tropiclean has a fresh breath water additive that has Zinc Gluconate which is an antibacterial agent that helps control the buildup of plaque and tartar, Cetylpyridinium Chloride an antimicrobial agent that helps inhibit bad breath and plaque-causing bacteria, and finally Green Tea Extract antimicrobial properties help inhibit bad breath-causing bacteria in the mouth.

(You find all of these tools and more in Braxton's Dental Section!)

Regularly cleaning pets' teeth is essential for keeping them healthy and happy throughout life, so following these simple steps can help make brushing much less stressful (and more enjoyable!) for everyone involved!