The kind of dental care a dog receives over the years has a great impact on its health and longevity. The most common dental problems dogs experience result from plaque and calculus build-up. Food particles, bacteria and saliva may accumulate and adhere to the tooth surface, forming a soft plaque.

If plaque build-up continues, solutions of chalk-like material form a hardened calculus on the tooth surface. If left unchecked, this build-up can eventually cause inflammation of both the gums and lining of the tooth socket. Without proper treatment, the teeth eventually loosen and fall out. The infection resulting from these conditions may spread to other parts of the body such as the kidneys or valves of the heart.

In most puppies, deciduous ('baby' or 'milk teeth') fall out between four and seven months of age. If they do not, a veterinarian should be consulted concerning their removal. The retention of deciduous teeth may produce damage to the soft tissues of the mouth and may accelerate wear of permanent teeth.

During the time your puppy is losing his teeth, he may eat slightly less and tend to chew more. Hard rubber or rawhide toys made especially for dogs are a good investment to help prevent household damage during this time. Never give a puppy an old shoe or any other clothing item or household object to chew on, or he will think all shoes and other objects are fair game.

Accustom your puppy to having his teeth cleaned on a regular basis. His teeth may be cleaned with a soft cloth dipped in a solution of baking soda and water, or a child's tooth brush could be used. Do not use toothpaste formulated for humans because dogs swallow, rather than spit out the preparation, causing stomach upset. Veterinary toothpaste preparations are also available.