Hi! I am Dr. Lauren at petside.com, and brushing your dog's teeth is just as important for them as it is for us. If you don't brush your dog's teeth they can get things gingivitis and periodontal disease which could be very uncomfortable and can end up costing you a lot of money in dental work.

People think brushing teeth is difficult, but I am going to show you just how easy it is to brush your dog's teeth at home.

Before you start, you want to make sure you have the right materials. You'll need a toothbrush that they make especially for pets that fits right on the ends of your finger. Then you're going to need a pet toothpaste. You don't want to use human toothpaste as these can contain too much fluorite for your pet, plus pet toothpaste comes flavored in flavors like poultry and beef, so that your pet will actually like it.

So what you want to do is take the toothbrush and place it at the tip of your finger. Then you take a little bit of toothpaste which you could see dogs love since it's flavored. Then, you gently lift your pet's mouth and brush the teeth from side-to-side. It's okay, if your pet licks the toothpaste.

You want to make sure that you get the front teeth, the other side, and even the back.

If you have trouble brushing your pet's teeth at home, there are other things you can use to keep their teeth healthy. There are mouthwashes that you can use or even things that you can add to their drinking water. There are also treats that are made specifically for keeping your pet's mouth clean.

I am Dr. Lauren at petside.com, if you have any questions email me at DrLauren@petside.com.