Questions pet parents ask us

Daily is the goal, because soft plaque can begin to harden into tartar within about 48 to 72 hours. If daily brushing is not realistic, do what you can consistently — a 30-second wipe along the gumline every day does more than a long session once a week — and support it with a daily dental powder and a water additive.

Most dogs can learn to accept brushing over about four weeks if you go slowly: start with a finger wipe and a lick of pet toothpaste, add a soft brush on the front teeth only, then work back a few teeth at a time, keeping every session short and rewarded. Our guide Brushing the Unbrushable walks you through it. Until then, textured wipes, a daily dental powder and a water additive keep the routine going.

No. Human toothpaste is designed to be spat out and may contain fluoride, foaming agents or xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. Use a toothpaste made for pets that is safe to swallow. Every Petdentist® product is xylitol-free.

Plaque is the soft, sticky film of bacteria, saliva and food that forms on teeth every day and can be wiped or brushed away. Tartar (calculus) is plaque that has hardened with minerals from saliva. Once it has hardened it cannot be brushed off, which is why daily removal of soft plaque matters and why a professional veterinary clean is sometimes needed.

Usually because of bacteria on the teeth and gums, sometimes because of what they have eaten, and occasionally because of something a vet needs to look at. Daily cleaning, a water additive and a dental powder help freshen breath in a healthy mouth. Breath that is suddenly much worse, or comes with drooling, pawing at the mouth or a change in eating, is a reason to see your vet.

No. Petdentist® products are non-medicinal oral-hygiene products and complementary feeds for healthy pets. They help reduce plaque build-up, help keep tartar from building up, freshen breath and support healthy gums as part of a daily routine. Only a veterinary surgeon can diagnose or treat gum disease.

A dental powder is served over food each day, measured by your pet's body weight. Our powders use ingredients such as kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum) and other botanicals that support normal oral hygiene from the inside, helping to reduce plaque build-up between cleans. Follow the serving guide on the pack and introduce it gradually over the first week.

Ascophyllum nodosum kelp is naturally rich in iodine. For healthy dogs and cats, the serving on the pack keeps iodine within sensible limits. If your pet has a thyroid condition or is on thyroid medication, ask your vet before using any kelp-containing product so they can consider total iodine intake.

Products marked for cats are formulated with cat-specific safety rules: no essential oils, no phenols, no xylitol and no high-iodine kelp in cat products. Cats also need their own gentle handling approach — see our cat guides. Never use a dog-only product on a cat.

Add the amount stated on the bottle to your pet's fresh drinking water each day and replace the water daily. Petdentist® water additive is designed to be tasteless and odourless so pets keep drinking normally. If your pet drinks less after you start, dilute further or pause and speak to us.

Fresher breath is often the first thing pet parents notice, typically within the first couple of weeks of a daily routine. Reducing existing build-up is gradual: tartar that took months to form softens and loosens over weeks of consistent care, not days. Hard, established tartar may need a professional veterinary clean.

See your veterinary surgeon promptly. Loose or wobbly teeth, swelling, discharge, bleeding that does not settle, reluctance to eat, dropping food, drooling, pawing at the mouth or any change in behaviour all need a professional examination. Home care supports professional care — it never replaces it.

Chews add a mechanical action while chewing, but they mostly work on the chewing surfaces and do not reach the gumline the way a brush or wipe does. Choose chews that are not harder than a fingernail can dent, watch the calories, and treat them as one part of a routine rather than the whole routine.

The oral microbiome is the community of bacteria living in the mouth. Research into supporting a balanced oral environment in dogs and cats is promising but early, strain-specific and short-term. We explain what the evidence does and does not show in our science section, grade it, and never borrow results from one species or strain for another.

We are the official distributor of Petsmile® Professional Pet Toothpaste, which carries the Veterinary Oral Health Council seal for plaque in dogs. That acceptance applies to that specific product and species only; we do not extend it to other products or to cats.

UK orders ship from our Northampton warehouse with next-day options; UAE orders ship from Dubai. We also sell on Amazon UK, Amazon.ae, Noon and eBay. Other countries are coming — use the country page to register interest.

The Petdentist Assurance policy on our stores covers returns and refunds; the details, including timeframes, are on the store where you bought. Email [email protected] with your order number and we will help.

Yes. Subscription options are available on our stores, and Petdentist CLUB — a full membership with monthly routine deliveries, member education and rewards — is in development. Subscriptions can be paused or changed at any time.

Yes. PetdentistPro™ provides professional accounts, clinical resources, samples and education for veterinary teams, and Petdentist CLINICS lists veterinary practices offering dental care. We support veterinary professionals; we never replace them.

No. Dr Deepak Songra BDS is a human dental surgeon with more than three decades of clinical practice. He is not a veterinary surgeon, and Petdentist® does not diagnose or treat animals.