The Canine Ledger

Brushing Your Dog's Teeth: How Often Actually Works

In a controlled trial, daily or every-other-day brushing worked and weekly brushing didn't. Why most owners don't keep it up, and what the studies say helps.

Written by thecanineledger

A 2015 trial brushed the teeth of beagles at four different frequencies for four weeks. “Brushing daily or every other day produced statistically significant improved results compared with brushing weekly or every other week” (Harvey et al., Journal of Veterinary Dentistry 2015, abstract).

The authors’ conclusion was simple: “daily brushing is recommended.”

While most owners know they should brush their dog’s teeth, few manage it every day, and the studies suggest that occasional brushing achieves little. This page sets out what the evidence says about frequency, why owners stop, and what helps.

→ Dental Disease in Dogs: What Brushing Can and Can’t Do

1. What the frequency trial found

The trial compared brushing daily, every other day, weekly, and every other week with no brushing at all. It was randomised, controlled and blinded, and dogs were fed the same dry food.

The result. “Brushing more frequently had greater effectiveness in retarding accumulation of plaque and calculus, and reducing the severity of pre-existing gingivitis.” Daily and every-other-day brushing were significantly better than weekly and fortnightly.

Safety. “No gingival or non-gingival lacerations or other signs of injury to oral tissues were found at the end of the 28 day trial period.”

Its limits. These were beagles, on a controlled diet, brushed for 28 days using “a clearly-defined brushing technique”. That is a long way from a pet dog brushed by an owner, for years. The trial shows what brushing can do when it is done well, not what most owners achieve.

Our note: We read only the abstract. We don’t know of a study of brushing frequency in pet dogs at home.

2. Why most owners don’t keep it up

Even motivated owners struggle. A Swedish study surveyed owners whose dogs had just had treatment for gum disease and had been shown how to brush. “Approximately 42% brushed their dogs’ teeth daily while others did so less frequently or not at all” (Svärd & Enlund, Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 2023). The authors suggest these owners did better than most.

The dog is the main obstacle. In the free-text answers, “21 dog owners attributed difficulties to having an uncooperative dog”. Some also mentioned “challenges related to accessing certain teeth, particularly the inside of teeth, and molars.”

Owners asked for “tips and tricks to facilitate tooth brushing”, and follow-up at the clinic to check their technique.

Phone reminders help a little. A three-year Swedish trial randomised 75 owners of young dogs to yearly phone calls using different counselling methods, or none (Enlund et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2024). Brushing increased in one counselling group, “albeit with a relatively low occurrence of daily brushing among owners.” Dental health improved, but “the effect size was small”.

3. Making it work

Start young, and go slowly. The Swedish authors propose that puppy classes “can incorporate stress-free oral cavity management and gradual toothbrush introduction.” Getting a dog used to having its mouth handled comes before the brush.

Ask for a demonstration. Owners in the 2023 study wanted follow-up at the clinic to assess their technique. A vet or vet nurse can show you how, and check later whether it’s working.

Every other day still counts. In the trial, brushing every other day did about as well as daily brushing, and both beat weekly. If daily brushing fails, every other day is a realistic target.

If your dog won’t accept it, stop and ask for help rather than forcing it. A dog who is frightened of having its mouth touched may also be harder to examine.

Our note: The last two points are our advice. “Every other day did about as well” is our reading of the abstract, which doesn’t compare the two directly.

Use a toothpaste made for dogs. Human toothpaste is not designed to be swallowed.

4. What about chews, gels and water additives?

These are the products most heavily marketed for dogs’ teeth. We cover chews on our safe-chews page. We haven’t reviewed the evidence for gels or water additives on this page, and we don’t recommend products.

→ Safe Chews: Bones, Antlers, Nylon and Rawhide · → Anaesthesia-Free Dental Cleaning: What the Specialists Say

5. What we could not verify

Commonly saidWhat we found
“Once a week is enough”Not in the one trial we found. Weekly brushing did significantly worse than daily or every-other-day brushing.
“Brushing removes tartar”Not shown here. In the trial, brushing slowed the build-up of plaque and tartar. Our dental disease page covers tartar that has already formed.
“Most owners brush daily”Not even most motivated ones. About 42% did in a study of owners whose dogs had just been treated for gum disease.
“Brushing can hurt the gums”Not in the trial. No injuries were found after 28 days of brushing.
“A dental chew does the same job”We have not reviewed this here. See our safe-chews page.

Sources

Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.