Using Human Toothbrush & Toothpaste For Dogs

Many people wonder if it is suitable to use a toothbrush and toothpaste designed for human consumption to brush dogs teeth or should they invest in a proper dogs toothbrush and toothpaste. The answer to this question is NO, you should never use human toothpaste on dogs and there are a few reasons for that.

The very first reason for this is that the toothpaste we use contains fluoride which is very toxic, and this is why we don't swallow the paste but rather gargle it out. If one was to swallow fluoride in a big quantity then it is enough to kill them.

So obviously if your dog is having their teeth brushed using this toothpaste then there is no way you can actually teach them to spit all of it out, so majority of it will end up being swallowed.

Another big problem you will face is that human toothpastes have a very strong flavour, a bit too strong for dogs, so your dog will absolutely hate the paste in his/her mouth and will not let you easily brush their teeth.

So avoid using these, rather use proper toothpaste for dogs and toothbrush for dogs which have been specially designed for dogs. I have found enzyme based toothpastes to be really good because they penetrate the plaque and get rid of it eliminating any dog bad breath.

Some people are of the opinion that you can use a normal toothbrush, but I disagree with that as well because the bristle on normal toothbrushes is alot harder than those on a dog tooth brush and the shape is slightly different as well, so its best to just buy one specially engineered for dogs.

If you have the right tools for the job not only will your dog enjoy having their teeth cleaned regularly but you will also notice a big difference in your dogs bad breath and plaque build up.