Good dental health is an important factor in your dog's overall physical condition and well-being. Painful teeth and gums can be detrimental to nutrition, general health, and quality of life. The long-term consequences of poor dental hygiene in dogs include:

• Bad breath, often a symptom of dental disease
• Dental abscesses and tooth loss due to periodontal disease
• Pain from infected teeth and gums
• Systemic infection starting in the teeth and gums and possibly spreading—via the bloodstream—to your dog's kidney, liver, heart or lungs
• Expense of repeated dental treatments, anesthesia, extractions and surgery

The good news is that by caring for your dog's teeth on a daily basis, you can greatly reduce or even eliminate such problems.

How

First, it's always smart to bring your dog to your veterinarian for an initial dental health assessment. Your dog need a professional cleaning before you start a home care regimen. Your veterinarian can also advise you about your dog's dental risk factors, products you should use, and even show you how to brush your dog's teeth.

Once you get the go-ahead from your veterinarian, the next step is finding products that work well for your dog. Be patient, as this can require some trial and error.

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• Put your dog in a firm sit/stay position to establish calm.
• With your free hand, try gently clamping your dog's muzzle to a nearly-closed position. This will calm your dog and prevent her from trying to lick and chomp on the toothbrush (and your fingers).
• Retry the procedure with plain tap water on the brush.

• Relax. If you're tense, your dog will automatically sense it. If you take it in stride, your dog may too.
• Baby steps. Introduce this routine in small increments. Your dog will thank you.
• Perfection not required. Although daily brushing is recommended, any amount of brushing is better than none.
• Start now. It's never too late, although starting the habit with a puppy is ideal.

For more tips and a great video tutorial on brushing your dog's teeth, go to http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-brush-your-dog-s-teeth-204590/.