Brushing your dog's teeth is one of those recurring grooming practices you have to nail down and really master if you want to take good care of your dog and their health the way you're supposed to do, and it looks very well like this is the case with you since you're here looking for the best dog toothbrush that you can get to using right away on yours.
Some dog owners prefer to hire a professional groomer to take care of brushing their dog's teeth, as well as other grooming practices performed in return for a certain fee, however this isn't the case for the majority of dog owners out there who would much rather learn about and perform these tasks on their own in order to save up on dog-related costs that could otherwise stack up quite fast.
If that's the case with you, then you're right where you need to be, as this article will be discussing what we believe are some of the best dog toothbrushes out there on the market today, why we believe each of these toothbrushes for dogs deserve a mention on this list, as well as some general tips and guidelines you should know about before you go ahead and buy any toothbrush for your dog.
Our List Of The 5 Best Dog Toothbrushes Of Today (Updated List For 2023)
Top Pick: Virbac C.E.T. Pet Toothbrush
Pick #2: Pet Republique Cat & Dog Finger Toothbrush
Pick #3: Pet Republique Cat & Dog Dual Headed Dental Hygiene Brushes
Pick #4: Vetoquinol Enzadent Dual-Ended Toothbrush
Pick #5: EZDOG Triple Pet EZDOG Toothbrush
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*Note: The links in the table above, as well as several links in the remainder of the article below, will take you to over to Chewy or Amazon where you can find out more information about the products, such as current prices and customer reviews.
Best Dog Toothbrushes - A Closer Look Into Our Top 3 Options
Pick #1 - Virbac C.E.T. Pet Toothbrush
Great For Small Dogs: If you're looking for the best dog toothbrush for small dogs, this is one of the best options available on the market today for you to consider, having been specifically designed to meet the needs of small dogs.
If you're planning on using it for a large sized dog, this may not be the best option and may prove to be too small for a large dog's teeth.
Good For Dogs & Cats: Not only is the C.E.T. Pet Toothbrush an amazing toothbrush for you to use for your dog's teeth, this is also one of the best toothbrushes for cats as well.
Because this toothbrush was specifically designed with the needs of small dogs in mind, it also serves as an excellent toothbrush for cats and kittens alike.
Soft Bristles: One aspect we particularly love about this dog toothbrush is its soft bristles that get the job done as necessary during brushing, but don't cause any sort of discomfort to your dog's gums, unlike other dog toothbrushes out there with bristles that are way too rough.
Great Finger Toothbrush Option: If you're specifically looking for a dog finger toothbrush instead of a regular one that comes with a handle you can hold, then this is our favorite option that falls under the category of finger toothbrushes for dogs.
Some dogs are much more receptive and accepting when their owners use a finger toothbrush instead of a regular toothbrush with a handle, so if that's the case with your dog, then this is one of the better options available on the market today that you should be giving consideration.
Ease Of Use: If you're looking for a dog toothbrush that can get the job done as easy and as fast as possible without having to waste much time on unnecessary tasks, then this is definitely a contender for your consideration.
It's very easy to slip in and out of your finger, very easy to clean and makes it very easy for you to get to those harder spots you wouldn't be able to with a regular toothbrush.
After we've covered our favorite regular dog toothbrush and finger dog toothbrush on the market in the two picks above, this list wouldn't be complete without giving an option for dog owners who are searching for the best dual headed dog toothbrush for their furry buddies.
On one end of this dual headed dog toothbrush, you'll be getting a small brush to accommodate the needs of a small sized dog, while on the other side of this dual headed toothbrush, you'll be getting a large brush to accommodate the needs of a large sized dog.
Or, you can make very good use of the two sides this toothbrush comes with even when you're brushing the teeth of the same dog, be that a small sized dog or a large sized dog you may have, as there come certain times/spots to cover while brushing your dog's teeth that either side works better than the other.
What Criteria Determines The Best Toothbrushes For Dogs?
The following list discusses some of the most important criteria that end up determining and separating the best dog toothbrushes on the market from the rest of the competition that isn't quite up to par.
Specifically Manufactured For Dogs: The absolute first issue you want to look into when it comes to any toothbrush you're planning on brushing your dog's teeth with, is that it be specifically designed for dogs.
In other words, if you're considering brushing your dog's teeth with a toothbrush that was designed for human use by people like yourself and me, then that's a terrible idea because our dog's teeth are different than our teeth and the respective toothbrushes for each are different in more ways than one.
Ease Of Brushing: In a general sense, the best dog toothbrushes will make the entire process of brushing your dog's teeth, and getting them to go through it without much resistance, a much easier and smoother one for all parties involved.
Anyone who has tried to brush their dog's teeth before, especially if they're a relatively newer dog owner without much prior experience in this field, knows first hand how difficult it can be to get your dog to properly sit there without much movement and brush their teeth from start to finish.
A high quality dog toothbrush is one of the major pieces to solve that puzzle, though.
Appropriate Size: The size of the toothbrush you'll want to get for your dog is almost always going to be proportionate to the size of your dog.
So, if you've got a large sized dog at home that belongs to a category of large breed dogs, you'll want to get them a larger sized toothbrush to accommodate their needs than would be the case if you had a smaller sized dog at home that belongs to a category of small breed dogs or is still a young and growing puppy.
There's no way that you can efficiently brush your large dog's mouth with a small sized toothbrush, since you'd be trying to cover a fairly large space with a small tool in hand, and there's no way that you can efficiently brush your small dog's mouth with a large sized toothbrush, since you'd be trying to get to small spaces with a huge tool in hand.
Appropriate Length: The best toothbrush for your dog will always be one that makes it as comfortable as possible for you to hold it from its tail while brushing your dog's teeth, all while without having to put your hand in too deep into your dog's mouth in order to reach their teeth.
Not only is having to fit your hand in your dog's mouth in order to brush their teeth very uncomfortable for you, especially if you're going to be brushing their teeth on a regular and frequent basis, it's also very uncomfortable for your dog as well to stay seated and not fiddle until you're done.
Just imagine someone doing it to you - definitely not a fun thought!
Appropriate Bristles: Ideally, the bristles on the toothbrush you're planning to use for your dog should be soft ones.
If the bristles on your dog's toothbrush are way too hard or sharp for their teeth and gums, this will end up doing more harm than good, and you'll be noticing a whole lot of bleeding when brushing their teeth.
The top toothbrushes specifically designed for dog's teeth take this point into very serious consideration, and this is one of the reasons why it's always advised that you do not use a toothbrush designed for human use for your dog's teeth, as the bristles on toothbrushes designed for you and me are not as soft as they should be for dogs.
What Type Of Toothbrush Should I Use For My Dog's Teeth?
First of all, and talking about regular toothbrushes for dogs, you're faced off with the options of either going with a single headed toothbrush for dogs or a multiple headed toothbrush for dogs.
From our experience and according to all the research we've done about this subject, by far the easiest, most effective and most efficient type of toothbrush for dogs you should be using for your pooch is a single head toothbrush.
As they say, if it isn't broken, don't fix it, and single head toothbrushes are most certainly not broken when it comes to effective brushing for dogs' teeth!
You can also go with a multiple head toothbrush, as that gives you the opportunity to alternate between two different brushes, most often times one being larger than the other in order to give you more options to cover as much space as possible by using either.
You're also given the option to go with something called a finger toothbrush, which essentially is a regular toothbrush with the head and bristles, except that the toothbrush handle is gone and replaced with an opening that allows you to fit your finger in so that you control the brushing that way.
Essentially, with a finger toothbrush, you'll be brushing your dog's teeth by just using your finger and not your entire hand to hold a handle that's not there anymore.
The idea behind finger toothbrushes is to give you an option that makes it tremendously easier to get to those few tough spots you would otherwise find quite difficult to get to effectively with a regular toothbrush for dogs.
Some dog owners find this to be the case with them, while others are really frightened of the thought and would prefer not to use a finger toothbrush with their dogs because of the fact that you have to have your entire hand inside your dog's mouth in order to brush their teeth, and this both is uncomfortable for many dogs and increases the risk of an accidental bite happening.
But, these options do exist and are fairly popular in their own categories, so the decision is ultimately up to you to make depending on what you're comfortable with, what your dog is comfortable with and what proves to be best for their needs.
Things To Keep In Mind About Toothbrushes For Dogs
The following list notes some of the most important issues you should be aware of and keep in mind if you're actively buying toothbrushes for your dog(s) and brushing their teeth by yourself, and aren't delegating this process to a professional dog groomer instead.
Replacements: Just like you and I can't keep on using the same old toothbrush for years on end without it degrading and giving us a lower quality cleanup, the same holds true for dogs and their toothbrushes as well, as noted by Dr. Thomas P. Chamberlain.
As a general rule of thumb, strive to replace your dog's toothbrush and get them a new one after around 3 to 4 months of usage.
If you don't do that, the toothbrush will start to do less of an effective job with time, and dental problems will become an issue sooner or later.
One Toothbrush For Every Dog: A common mistake that many dog owners are often guilty of is buying one dog toothbrush and using that to brush the teeth of multiple dogs they have at home.
This is just bad practice when it comes to basic hygiene, and you really have to use a separate toothbrush for every dog you have at home.
Good Toothpaste To Go Along With It: What good is buying the best dog toothbrush out there on the market if you don't have a half decent toothpaste to go along with it?
Having a high quality toothpaste is just as important in the equation if you look forward to have an easy time brushing your dog's teeth, so have a look at this list of the best dog toothpaste we've put together, where we discuss the top toothpaste options out there that will complement any toothbrush you end up choosing for your best friend.
