Last Updated: 17/08/2026
Pet Dental Care: A Vet's Complete Guide for Dogs and Cats
Vet-written pet dental care guide for dogs and cats - daily care, warning signs, and when to book a professional clean.
Author: Dr Olivia Clarke BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets, Avian)
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
Dental disease is one of the most common problems we see in clinic, affecting 80% of dogs and cats by 3 years of age, and it's also one of the most preventable with the right home routine. Start here: this guide covers the basics for both species, then points you to the right place for the detail, whether that's a puppy just cutting adult teeth or a senior cat due for a check-up.
What does dog dental care involve?
Dog dental care comes down to three things done consistently: daily brushing, the right chews or diet, and knowing the warning signs before they turn into a costly vet visit.
In clinic, small and toy breeds are the ones we see lining up for dental work earliest - breeds like maltese, chihuahuas and cavoodles often have visible tartar well before their third birthday, often because their teeth are too crowded for their jaw size. Bigger breeds usually get away with it for longer, but nobody's teeth clean themselves. The most common mistake we see across all breeds is owners waiting for bad breath to get noticeably worse before booking a check - by that point plaque has usually been hardening into tartar for months.
Head to our full dog dental care guide for the complete daily routine, or if you've got a puppy at home, our puppy dental care guide covers teething timelines and when to start brushing.
What does cat dental care involve?
Cat dental care looks similar to dogs on paper - brushing, diet and vet checks - but cats hide pain so well that owners are often the last to know something's wrong.
The condition that catches most owners out is tooth resorption, where the body starts breaking down the tooth from the inside. Cats with resorptive lesions usually keep eating normally, so we're often finding it on x-ray during a routine dental rather than because anything looked off at home. It's also far more common in cats than dogs, which surprises a lot of pet parents. A related surprise: cats can develop painful gum inflammation (gingivostomatitis) that has little to do with visible tartar, so teeth that look fairly clean don't necessarily mean that the mouth is healthy.
Read our cat dental care guide for the full picture, and if you're starting from scratch, our kitten dental care guide covers when and how to introduce brushing.
When should I take my pet to the vet for dental issues?
Book a vet check straight away if you notice bad breath, red or bleeding gums, a pet dropping food or chewing on one side, or swelling around the face or jaw.
These signs apply to both species, but for cats we'd add one more: any drop in appetite, even a small one, is worth a look, since cats mask mouth pain better than dogs do. Most pets will also need a professional dental clean under anaesthetic at some point in their life.
A conscious oral exam only shows us the crown of the tooth, the visible bit above the gumline, so anaesthesia is the only way to properly clean and check below it, which is where most dental disease actually lives, well out of sight during a normal check-up. It's also the only safe way to take dental x-rays, since even a very cooperative pet won't hold still for them awake.
FAQs
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Tue 18 Aug 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Olivia Clarke BSc BVMS MANZCVS (Unusual Pets, Avian)
Veterinarian
Dr Olivia graduated from Murdoch University in 2015 and worked in Western Australia before moving to Sydney to work in specialist practice as an avian and exotics veterinarian. Olivia has thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of species and interesting cases in her time as an exotics veterinarian. She has a particular soft spot for rabbits and thoroughly enjoys all aspects of rabbit medicine and surgery. She also has many years of experience working with dogs and cats as well as an array of wildlife.
