13 Oct How Diet Impacts Your Dog’s Dental Health
As a board-certified veterinary dentist at Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery, a frequent question I hear from pet owners is: “Does what my dog eats really affect their teeth?” The answer is yes—your dog’s diet plays a meaningful role in their oral health. While no food alone can replace regular at-home brushing and professional cleanings, the type of diet you choose can support (or sometimes complicate) your dog’s dental health.
Let’s explore how different diets compare when it comes to building the best dog dental health diet.
Dry Food (Kibble)
Dry kibble has long been thought to help “scrape” plaque from the teeth. While there is some truth to this, the effect is often overstated. Most kibble crumbles quickly when chewed, so it doesn’t provide significant mechanical cleaning. However, specially formulated dental kibbles, approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC), are designed to have a texture that actually helps reduce plaque and tartar buildup.
Takeaway: Standard kibble doesn’t replace brushing, but dental diets with VOHC approval can make a measurable difference.
Wet Food (Canned Diets)
Canned diets are soft, which means they don’t provide any abrasive action on the teeth. In fact, because they stick to the teeth and gums more easily than dry food, they can contribute to faster plaque accumulation. If your dog eats primarily wet food, daily brushing and regular dental cleanings become even more important to protect their oral health.
Takeaway: Wet (canned) food may be fine nutritionally but requires extra diligence with at-home dental care.
Raw Diets
Raw diets are sometimes promoted as being better for dental health because they include bones or raw meat. While chewing on raw bones can have a scraping effect, it also comes with significant risks: fractured teeth, gastrointestinal injuries, and bacterial contamination. I frequently treat broken teeth in dogs that have been chewing on bones or chew toys, such as antlers.
Takeaway: While raw bones may reduce some plaque, the risks far outweigh the benefits when it comes to safe dental care. If you feed your pet a raw diet, I strongly advise formulating your plan with your primary care veterinarian.
Dental-Specific Diets
Veterinary dental diets are scientifically formulated to support oral health. These foods have larger kibble sizes, special fiber structures, and coatings that reduce tartar buildup. Some diets contain ingredients that actually inhibit plaque from mineralizing into calculus on the tooth crown. Most importantly, many of these diets carry VOHC approval, meaning they have been tested and proven to help with dental disease prevention.
Takeaway: Dental diets are the most effective dietary option for improving and maintaining your dog’s oral health. Your primary care veterinarian can help you determine if these diets are appropriate for your pet based on their age and any other health concerns they may have.
Building the Best Dog Dental Health Diet
Ultimately, the best diet for your dog depends on their individual needs, but when we look at oral health alone:
- Standard kibble offers minimal benefit.
- Wet/canned food can contribute to faster plaque buildup.
- Raw diets are risky for teeth and overall health and should always be formulated with the guidance of your primary care veterinarian.
- Veterinary prescription dental diets provide the best evidence-based support for cleaner, healthier teeth, but are still not as impactful as daily tooth brushing or remove the need for regular professional dental cleanings.
Of course, diet is only part of the picture. The foundation of oral health for dogs includes daily toothbrushing and regular professional cleanings. But choosing the right food can make those efforts more effective.
Perhaps the greatest impact of prescription veterinary dental diets is for dogs and cats that have a history of chronic recurrent periodontal disease. These are frequently cases that have daily brushing, rinses, and dental treats integrated with prescription dental diets.
Final Thoughts from Your Veterinary Dentist
At Animal Dental Care and Oral Surgery, our goal is to help your pet enjoy a healthy, pain-free mouth throughout their life. If you’re considering switching your dog’s diet or want to know if a dental-specific diet is right for them, we’re here to guide you and to also help your primary care veterinarian. Together, we can build a dog dental health diet that works for your pet’s teeth, body, and long-term well-being.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (10/13/2025) Photo by Gayatri Malhotra on Unsplash
