How to care for your dog's teeth

Good canine oral and dental hygiene helps to prevent the formation of plaque which leads to tartar and bad breath. Of course, a dog's mouth contains thousands of bacteria and food particles and the best way to avoid gum inflammation and tooth infections is preventative care.

To keep your dog's mouth clean and healthy, you can choose from a variety of solutions designed for daily or regular use. Your first and best option is to brush your dog's teeth. Ideally this should be done every day and no less than several times a week. The abrasive action of a toothbrush or a finger brush works to eliminate plaque while an enzymatic toothpaste will also provide antibacterial action. Otherwise, you can take a more hands off approach such as giving your dog a dental chew after meals or adding an anti-bacterial water additive to your dog's water bowl.

An adult dog should have 42 teeth in total which is 10 more than the average human. Teeth brushing is the single best way to achieve good oral health and give your dog fresh – or at least passable – breath. For this, you'll need a toothpaste specially designed for dogs and a basic dog toothbrush which has finer bristles than those designed for human use. Alternatively, you can use a special finger brush designed to slot onto your finger for easier access. It all depends on what your dog will tolerate.

To make things easier when you begin brushing it can be helpful to use a meat-flavoured toothpaste. Start by putting the toothpaste on your fingers and mimicking the movement of the toothbrush before you attempt to use an actual toothbrush – but beware of nervous teeth!

Plaque removal chews, such as PlaqueOff or Dentastix chews, work a bit like dry food in that they rub at the surface of the teeth to help remove food build-up. This abrasive action helps to clean teeth. In terms of ingredients, there's a world of choice out there.

• Some chews are plant-based and made using ingredients such as corn or soy.

• Others may contain things like dried meat, beer yeast or vegetable-based protein.

To pick the right dental chew for your dog, it's a good idea to try out a few to find the most effective and enjoyable type for your dog. The best time to give dog chews is after a meal.

Don't think you can manage brushing your dog's teeth a few times a week? Daily dental chews out of your budget?

You can always try out kelp powder! Designed to be sprinkled over dog food, this breath-freshening powder helps to clean as your dog breaks down their dry food. The main advantage of these types of products is that you don't have to put your hands near your dog's mouth, which is handy if you have a mouth-sensitive or just plain grumpy dog!

It is also possible to purchase a tartar removal spray which can help to limit bad breath and tartar formation. It is recommended to use these products every day.

Another good tartar removal option is an anti-bacterial water additive from brands such as Virbac. Designed to prevent plaque build-up and bad breath, these products do not have any odour or taste and won't put your dog off drinking their water. They aim to eliminate the bacteria that causes bad breath and gum inflammation. If using this type of product, be sure to clean the water bowl on a regular basis and always provide clean water. One dose a day should suffice and these additives can be used from the age of 6 months.

It's also worth noting that you don't need to stick to one solution – it is absolutely possible to alternate a few dental care solutions to keep your four-legged friend tartar-free!