My 3 YO poodle had a lot of plaque build-up, so the vet recommended a cleaning. As with all the dogs I’ve owned, I was concerned about having her put under anesthesia for such a simple procedure and the cost to do it.
Luckily, before breaking down and making an appointment, I saw a recommendation for a dental cleaning kit on a holistic dog care Facebook page.
I groom my own dogs and this girl is very calm and obedient when letting me around her mouth to brush her teeth and is also used to the sound and feel of a nail grinder, clippers and high velocity dryer. I happen to have a manual dental tool. As a test, she let me scrape on a tooth with it. I really don’t know how to clean teeth and was afraid of cutting her gums or damaging her teeth so so went no further than that. But since she let me go that far, I figured a kit with all the proper attachments and an auto shut off was needed. I ordered this product based on features, reviews and price.
I showed her the tool, turned it on, let her see the light from it and hear the sound it makes by touching it to the little wrench that comes with the kit. It only turns on when it is in contact with a hard surface. I then turned it off and touched the end to her gum line and tapped her teeth with it. After no reaction from her, I turned it on “soft “ and when she didn’t even flinch, I got to work. We started out with her standing on the grooming table, but eventually moved her to a bed where she could lay on her side. She would not lay on the grooming table and I was not going yo force her. I worked 5 to 10 minutes at a time over several days. I was able to move up to the normal setting and a little stronger for the big patches. The plaque sometimes broke off in little sheets. I brush her teeth several times a week, so was amazed that the plaque was so thick and how white and shiny her teeth were underneath.
It’s awkward trying to work on the back teeth, one hand is needed to pull the lips back to expose the tooth, the other hand to hold the tool in the right position to shine the light on the tooth and also to keep it at the right angle for it to be most effective. She would naturally bring her foot up which would block my view. I found that it worked best when she was positioned where the top of the tooth was closest to me. So when working on top teeth, her back was facing me. When working on bottom teeth, her legs were facing me. Just be gentle and calm. Light touches moving back and forth or up and down will break up the plaque. Of course, every good dog parent is sweet and gentle with their pets. So, naturally don’t react to the noise or their reactions or force the dog to stay still or do anything that will cause the dog to try to get away or break their trust in you. It seems counterproductive when cleaning teeth, but give treats if food motivated. I need to check YouTube for videos to get more pointers on how to use all the attachments. I was most successful with the pointed pick and beveled flat.
Don’t get me wrong, she did not like what was happening. She’s just a good dog that aims to please and hear “good girl”, trusts me and lives for the liver treats at the end. Truthfully, she is a little wary of me right now when I tell her to get on the grooming table. She goes, but I will have to make sure to not bring out the dental kit for a lot of months to rebuild that trust.
This will not work for every dog. My daughter’s laid back doodle, whom I also groom, would have nothing to do with it. I think this was partly due to my daughter freaking out over the sound and the dog reacting to that.
I haven’t tried it on my other poodle yet because she just had a vet cleaning while under anesthesia for another surgical procedure. I predict she will not let me near her with it. A calming chew first may be in order some other time. I’ve never tried those though.
Even if it takes a minute every day for a month to get to all the teeth— there is no anesthesia, no stressful vet visit, not to mention the savings.
For 30 bucks vs 400, I call this a big win.
I used the BrightBite device on my 13-year-old rescue dog and removed visible tartar through short sessions. Once he adjusted to the sound, he handled it well. The lightweight design, adjustable settings, and built-in light made it convenient to use, and the battery lasted well.
Highly recommend! I was looking at a different brand that would have cost $100, and then I came across this one. I thought I'd give it a try, before I would have to take my dog to the dentist, And I'm so happy I did. I thought I would have to take it really slow, but my Pomeranian adjusted on the second day, I only worked on two of her teeth but, it took the tartar right off. If you're in the market for one of these, this is it, Just buy it.