Be preventive

There are things you can do to break the plaque-to-tartar cycle and avoid
the progression to periodontal disease. You can remove plaque and slow tartar development with brushing and diet. Keep track of your pet's teeth brushing
schedule with this helpful chart. To best keep your pet's teeth healthy,
remember to follow the 3Ds:

Practice the 3Ds

Daily brushing of your pet’s teeth will remove plaque and slow the development of tartar. When first beginning to brush, be gradual and make it a pleasant experience. Start by using your finger. Later, introduce a toothbrush. Be sure to praise and reassure your pet while brushing. Also, reward your pet afterward with play or a walk.

Talk with your veterinarian about annual or semiannual teeth cleaning — a dental prophylaxis or prophy for short. Teeth cleaning, performed by your veterinarian, is the only way to remove tartar.

Diet is important in good oral health. The mechanical brushing action of dry, crunchy kibbles helps remove plaque and works to scrub teeth clean. Some diets may also include ingredients such as hexametaphosphate (HMP) that can help block tartar formation. Diet, along with daily brushing and dentistry, helps break the plaque-to-tartar cycle and optimizes oral health.

Dental Defense System

P&G Pet Care has incorporated a patented, proprietary technology in most of its dry adult dog foods — a dental defense system. This system, Daily Dental Care in Iams^® and Iams^® Veterinary Formula, and DentaDefense^® in Eukanuba^®, has been shown to slow the development of tartar in studies following the guidelines of the Veterinary Oral Health Council (www.vohc.org).

This dental defense system is a crunchy kibble with micro-cleansing crystals that
works in two ways to help break the plaque-to-tartar cycle:

During the meal, the crunchy kibble and micro-cleansing
crystals help scrub away plaque and clean teeth.

After the meal, the micro-cleansing crystals work
across the entire mouth to block tartar formation by
embedding in plaque to help reduce tartar buildup
by physically occupying the space that tartar-forming
minerals normally fill.

Clinical studies have indicated that Daily Dental Care and DentaDefense^® significantly reduce tartar buildup in dogs by up to 55%.* Additional studies demonstrate that our exclusive dental defense system with Micro-Cleansing Crystal Technology works across the whole mouth, not just on the teeth
used to chew.

Find out more about Iams^® and Eukanuba^® products with this technology.