Dental care is about removing plaque every day
Dental care in dogs is first and foremost about slowing down plaque, that is, the soft bacterial coating that builds up on the teeth over the course of the day. If plaque is left in place, it hardens into tartar, and tartar cannot be brushed or chewed away again. Then a vet has to remove it, often under anaesthetic. The point of daily dental care is therefore prevention: to step in while the coating is still soft and can be removed mechanically.
This collection brings together chew products that work with exactly that mechanical part. When the dog chews a firm dental stick, the surface scrapes against the tooth and tears off part of the coating, while at the same time the chewing gets the salivary glands to work. Saliva is the dog's own defence against bacteria in the mouth. It is not a substitute for a toothbrush, but it is a method most dogs actually take part in voluntarily, which in practice often means it actually gets done.
Dental Delights or Teeth Delights
The collection holds two ranges, each with its own aim. GRAIN-FREE CLASSIC DENTAL DELIGHTS, GRAIN-FREE BEEF & GAME DENTAL DELIGHTS and GRAIN-FREE BEEF & RABBIT DENTAL DELIGHTS are grain-free dental sticks where the shape and firmness do the work against plaque, while the flavour is determined by the type of meat. If your dog goes for beef and game, beef & game is the obvious choice, while beef & rabbit suits dogs that tolerate rabbit better or simply prefer that flavour.
The Teeth Delights range adds a functional ingredient on top of the chewing. COLLAGEN & CURCUMA TEETH DELIGHTS combines collagen with turmeric, CHAMOMILE & SAGE TEETH DELIGHTS uses chamomile and sage, and PROBIOTICS & CINNAMON TEETH DELIGHTS adds lactic acid bacteria and cinnamon. If you mainly want mechanical cleaning, Dental Delights is the core. If you also want to support, for example, the gums or digestive function, Teeth Delights gives an extra layer.
How chamomile and sage help the gums
CHAMOMILE & SAGE TEETH DELIGHTS is intended for dogs whose gums need to be spared. Sage is a traditional herb for the oral cavity, and chamomile is classically used to soothe irritated mucous membranes. Combined with the chewing itself, which massages along the gum line, this variant targets the zone where gum problems typically start, namely right where tooth and gum meet, and where plaque gathers first.
It is worth keeping an eye on the signs yourself. Red or swollen gums, a stripe along the tooth, or blood when the dog chews are signals that inflammation is underway. Persistent or severe symptoms belong with the vet, but in daily prevention a dental stick aimed at the gums is a sensible routine.
Collagen and turmeric for older teeth
COLLAGEN & CURCUMA TEETH DELIGHTS is the variant that makes the most sense for the adult or older dog. Collagen is the protein found in connective tissue, and turmeric, curcuma, is a herb traditionally associated with supporting the body's natural balance. For a dog that has reached its later years, dental care often goes hand in hand with sparing the rest of the body as well.
If you have a senior at home, it can be worth thinking of the dental stick as part of the overall diet rather than as a separate accessory. Our food for the older dog comes both as Older Kibble and as pâté for seniors, and a firm dental stick a day supplements the soft consistency that pâté otherwise gives the teeth nothing to bite into.
Probiotics and cinnamon against bad breath
Bad breath in dogs is far more often due to bacteria in the mouth than to anything coming from the stomach. PROBIOTICS & CINNAMON TEETH DELIGHTS tackles this by adding lactic acid bacteria, that is, probiotics, which are the beneficial bacteria that can help keep the balance in the mouth and gut. Cinnamon contributes flavour and has traditionally been used as a fresh spice.
If the breath has become markedly worse over a short time, however, it is not a matter of taste. Sudden strong bad breath can point to tartar, an infected tooth or something further down the system, and that should be looked at by a vet. For daily freshness, on the other hand, a probiotic dental stick is a simple routine to build in.
Why all the dental sticks are grain-free
Both Dental Delights and Teeth Delights are grain-free. This is relevant if your dog reacts to grains, or if you already feed grain-free and want to keep the treats along the same line. A dental stick is given daily, so it counts towards what the dog takes in overall, and it makes sense for it to match the rest of the diet rather than break with it.
If you already feed grain-free, you can keep the whole line clean by combining with our other grain free meals. If your dog is decidedly sensitive in the stomach, it can also be worth looking at the range for sensitive stomach, so that both meal and dental stick pull in the same direction.
How a dental stick fits into the daily routine
A dental stick only works if it is given regularly. Plaque begins to build up again within a day, so it is the daily repetition, not the single chew, that keeps the teeth clean. Place it therefore at a fixed point in the day, preferably after a meal, when the dog is busy anyway.
At the same time, remember that a dental stick is a treat and counts towards the day's total calories. If you give many other treats alongside, then subtract the dental stick from those. If your dog needs to lose weight or maintain weight, you can look towards our treats with a low fat content, treats low in fat, for the rest of the rewards, so that dental care does not come at the expense of the figure. You still get the most thorough cleaning by combining daily chewing with regularly brushing the dog's teeth and letting the vet check them over.
