We might ask you to fast your pet. That way, if we are x-raying or doing an ultrasound, we don't have a lot of food in the stomach that might obscure an image. Or we may need them fasted if we're going to give them any type of mild sedative or general anesthesia.

There are many that will advertise that they will brush your dog's teeth, but they're not going to do exactly the same as a good old fashion toothbrushing or finger brushing. A lot of them will say that they will, but not quite as good as kind of the Veterinary Oral Health Council certified products.

Dogs can get cavities. It's a rarer type of dental disease, but they can still get cavities just like humans can.

We don't want to use human toothpaste because the dogs will be ingesting the toothpaste when we put it on their teeth, and human toothpaste can be toxic. They're not meant to be ingested. They can have xylitol in it, so stay away from human toothpaste.

You want to use pet toothpaste, and preferably one that is certified by the Veterinary Oral Health Council or the VOHD. At the moment, there's only one, and it's called pet smile. It's right there. It has several different flavors: beef, chicken, cheese, and it's nice because it's enzymatic. So it works even if you can't get the actual physical brushing motion on there.

I guess starting as young as possible. So when they're a puppy, getting them used to the action of brushing their teeth. You only have to brush the outside, so you should get them used to even just a finger brush on the outside. If you do it right before dinner, they'll be really excited about it because they know that dinner's coming afterward.

Ideally, every day, but every other day will suffice if you can't. At least every other day.