Veterinary dentist breaks down the evidence behind home dental care

Periodontal disease affects nearly 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by age 3.^1,2

Kristin I. Scott, DVM, DAVDC, a board-certified veterinary dentist and practice owner at Crown Veterinary Dental Specialists, discussed prevention during her October 29, 2026, New York Vet Show session on diet and home care in veterinary dentistry.¹ She outlined an oral health triad that consists of professional dental care, home care and diet. This article focuses on home care.

A professional dental cleaning under anesthesia removes plaque and calculus, treats existing disease and establishes a healthy baseline, Scott said. Maintaining that baseline requires ongoing care at home.

"What happens every single day for that pet is way more important than what happens with this professional cleaning," Scott told attendees.

Plaque begins to accumulate again within minutes of a cleaning, Scott said. Salivary proteins first form a thin film called the pellicle on the tooth surface. Bacteria then attach to that film, followed by additional bacterial species. Within about 24 hours, the plaque develops into a more complex biofilm with greater bacterial diversity and potentially more disease-causing organisms. Daily disruption of that biofilm is essential to controlling plaque buildup, she said.

Home care can slow disease progression, but it cannot reverse established periodontal disease or replace professional dental treatment, Scott said.

Dental products, Scott said, work best on a clean tooth, and most of these products are tested on teeth that have been professionally cleaned at the start of a study. One of the few studies to test home care in dogs without a prior professional cleaning, "Effectiveness of dental homecare protocols in unscaled dogs," found that regular brushing or a daily dental chew still reduced plaque and calculus.³

"If you walk into a home that's been owned by a hoarder, you cannot expect to just vacuum a little bit here and there," Scott explained. "You have to get rid of all the stuff in that house if you're actually going to [make it] clean."

Weekly brushing has minimal effect

Scott called toothbrushing the gold standard for home dental care. She cited a study involving beagles that compared different brushing schedules. In that study, daily brushing produced the greatest reductions in plaque and calculus, while brushing every other day also helped. Weekly brushing had minimal effects.⁴

Monthly brushing at the groomer does little, Scott said.

Pets do not need a pet-specific toothbrush, Scott noted. A soft or extra-soft human toothbrush works, while toddler brushes may suit sensitive pets. Because pets' triangular teeth fray bristles faster than human teeth, she recommends replacing the brush monthly.¹

For pets that resist a brush, Scott suggested dental wipes. In brachycephalic dogs, a straight brush often misses the buccal surfaces of curved upper cheek teeth.

Dental chews improved oral health measures in beagles

Scott recommended products carrying the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal. Products earn the seal by meeting established efficacy standards in trials. VOHC also considers safety in its review process.¹

During her talk, Scott also reviewed a 2021 study in 12 adult female beagles fed a common dry diet, with a professional cleaning at the start of each 28-day period. The study found that compared with diet alone, dogs given daily dental chews had lower calculus coverage and thickness, plaque thickness, pocket depth, bleeding and halitosis. Control dogs had a higher abundance of potentially disease-associated bacterial genera, and dogs fed the dental chews had more health-associated genera.⁵

Veterinary technicians can help owners maintain home care

For many clients, choosing a product is not the biggest obstacle to home dental care, Scott said.

"The most limiting thing is not what you are recommending for your client. It is the compliance," she noted.

In a 2023 survey of owners whose dogs had been treated for periodontitis, about 42% reported brushing their dogs' teeth daily, while others brushed frequently or not at all.⁶

Many owners tend to believe anything they do helps, including monthly tooth brushing by a groomer, and often bring a pet in only when they see bleeding or a tooth on the floor, making client education important, Scott said. She added that owners also often believe that diet and chewing on bones amount to good dental care and that, if they do those things, they do not need to brush.

Scott said behavioral coaching and recommendations tailored to each owner can improve adherence. She cited a 3-year study in which owners who received motivational interviewing brushed their dogs’ teeth more often than owners who received no additional communication. That group also had a lower plaque index, although the effect on dental health was small.⁷

At her practice, technicians lead home care discussions with owners at recheck appointments. The practice keeps 3 curated baskets of home care products: one for cats, one for small dogs and one for large dogs. The technician brings the appropriate basket to the appointment and presents the products as options, not a list of things to buy. The technician and client then discuss which products fit the client's lifestyle and the pet's temperament and food allergies.

She added that owners also often admit to technicians what they will not tell the veterinarian, including that they never planned to brush, she said.

"So, having your technicians involved with this whole home care discussion, we have found to be extremely helpful," Scott said.

References

1. Scott KI. Chew On This: The Role of Diet and Home Care in Veterinary Dentistry. Presented at: NY Vet Show; October 29, 2026; New York, NY.
2. AVMA: "Doggie breath" could be a sign of serious disease. February 4, 2026. Accessed October 29, 2026. https://www.avma.org/news/press-releases/avma-doggie-breath-could-be-sign-serious-disease
3. Gawor J, Jank M, Harvey CE, Nicolas CS. Effectiveness of dental homecare protocols in unscaled dogs. J Vet Dent. 2025;42(3):176-181. doi:10.1177/08987564241292769
4. Harvey C, Serfilippi L, Barnvos D. Effect of frequency of brushing teeth on plaque and calculus accumulation, and gingivitis in dogs. J Vet Dent. 2015;32(1):16-21. doi:10.1177/089875641503200102
5. Oba PM, Carroll MQ, Alexander C, et al. Dental chews positively shift the oral microbiota of adult dogs. J Anim Sci. 2021;99(7):skab100. doi:10.1093/jas/skab100
6. Svärd J, Brunius Enlund K. Adherence to dental home care in dogs with periodontitis: a post-treatment survey. Acta Vet Scand. 2023;65(1):59. doi:10.1186/s13028-023-00718-6
7. Enlund KB, Jönsson B, Abrahamsson KH, Pettersson A. Long-term effects of motivational interviewing vs. traditional counseling on dog owners' adherence to veterinary dental home care: a three-year follow-up study. Front Vet Sci. 2024;11:1296618. doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1296618