Five Ways to Celebrate Pet Dental Month

National Pet Dental Month is an event through the American Veterinary Medical Association that is observed during the month of February. The purpose of this month is to draw attention to the importance of keeping pets' teeth clean. Just like humans, pets can incur diseased gums and teeth and lose the chewing function of their teeth if they are not maintained well. Celebrating Pet Dental Month is an opportunity for you to be creative, inform your peers about animals' dental health and make a difference in your own pet's mouth.

  1. Bones

    • One way to celebrate Pet Dental Month is to emphasize using chew bones for your dogs. Chew bones are created specifically to prevent dogs from getting periodontal disease -- a disease in which bacteria cause the gums to become inflamed and thus lead to resorption of the bone supporting the teeth. Chew-bone products essentially help get rid of calculus -- the hardened version of plaque, which is a soft, sticky substance that forms on teeth after pets eat food. The chew bones promote good breath as well.

    Toothbrushing

    • A second way to celebrate Pet Dental Month is to actually brush your pet's teeth, particularly if you do not do this on a regular basis. Search for a toothbrush that will fit your particular pet's mouth and toothpaste that features pleasing flavors, such as vanilla. The sugar-free toothpaste typically will not foam, so you do not have to worry about rinsing your pet's mouth out after using it. In addition, the active ingredient in the toothpaste should be chlorohexidine, which helps fight periodontal disease bacteria.

    Professional Cleaning

    • In celebration of Pet Dental Month, take your pet to a veterinarian for a professional cleaning. The veterinarian will use stainless steel instruments to scrape hard-to-remove calculus from your pet's teeth. Just like humans, all pets technically should have their teeth cleaned in the vet's office every six months. Local anesthetic used to numb the gums typically is unnecessary for a pet scaling.

    Posters

    • You can celebrate Pet Dental Month simply by putting up posters advertising this celebration. Put the posters in a classroom or in public places, such as stores or libraries, that allow you to do this. You can download these types of posters from websites such as those of the American Veterinary Medical Association (see Resources).

    Other Ways

    • A fifth way to celebrate Pet Dental Month is to use products you might not normally use to help keep your pet's mouth healthy. For instance, purchase a water additive that you can add to your pet's water to help kill bacteria that cause bad breath. This type of product also cleans your pet's teeth. In addition, introduce special treats that are available for both dogs and cats and essentially clean teeth and make breath fresher using chlorophyll, a green substance found in leaves.