Dental treats aren’t meant as a replacement for regular brushing, but your dog will love them, and they work as a good backup. They help remove plaque and tartar buildup, thanks to their abrasive surface, and sometimes the ingredients they contain work to freshen the breath, so everybody in the house benefits.

As with any treat, the treats mustn’t be too heavy on calories: a maximum of 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake can come from treats, and you should reduce the amount of food you give according to the treats your dog does eat.

Below are 10 of the best dental treats for dogs. Choose according to the size of the treats and calorie count, and opt for a flavor that your dog will relish.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024

The 10 Best Dental Treats for Dogs

1. Greenies Regular Dental Dog Treats – Best Overall

The toothbrush-shaped Greenies Variety Pack Regular Dental Dog Treats are made using natural ingredients and textured to help reduce plaque and tartar buildup when your dog chews. The pack contains 36 treats, designed for dogs weighing between 25 and 50 pounds, and the variety pack includes minty fresh, original, and blueberry flavor treats. The original flavor contains poultry flavoring while the fresh flavor contains spearmint, and the blueberry treats contain blueberry.

Thanks to the textured design, all the treats help remove plaque and tartar which helps improve breath freshness, too. The treats are also fortified with vitamins and minerals to help supplement your dog’s daily diet. Although the treats are a little on the expensive side, you do get a good amount of them, and the variety offered will help retain your dog’s interest when you feed them every day.

This variety, as well as the appealing flavors, and the fact that the treats do contain additional vitamins and minerals, makes them the best overall dental treats for dogs.

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2. Milk-Bone Brushing Chews Daily Dental Dog Treats – Best Value

Milk-Bone Brushing Chews Daily Dental Dog Treats are bone-shaped treats, but they have ridges and nubs. This textured surface helps clean away plaque and tartar when given to your dogs daily. The treats contain chicken by-product meal, giving them a meaty flavor that dogs will love, and they are fortified with vitamins and minerals. At 65 calories per treat, they are not too heavy on calories, and shouldn’t interfere too much with your dog’s feeding schedule, still allowing some daily treat allowance for training and other treats.

The Milk-Bone treats are very affordably priced, and a bag contains enough treats to last just over a month. The low price, meaty flavor, and textured surface of the treats make these the best dental treats for dogs for the money. However, the chews are quite hard with minimal give, as well as being a little on the small side.

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3. Chewsday Cinnamon Clean Daily Dental Dog Dental Treats – Premium Choice

 

Chewsday Cinnamon Clean Daily Dental Dog Dental Treats are expensive, but they’re made with minimal ingredients, all of which are natural. The main ingredients in these chews are potato starch, rice flour, and vegetable glycerin. The treats also contain natural flavor, as well as cinnamon. The treats are textured with ridges and nubs to help remove plaque and tartar and shaped like small brushes.

Easy to digest, the chews are hard, which can make them difficult for dogs with bad teeth to chew (as with most chews) on, but, as well as being natural and only containing 27.75 calories per large treat, they are also easy to digest thanks to the ingredients used. These treats are large so suited to large-breed dogs but Chewsday does a variety of other sizes so you can find dental treats that are ideal for your dog’s size.

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4. Pedigree Dentastix Variety Pack

The Pedigree Dentastix Variety Pack contains three packs of 17 treats with flavors of original with real chicken, beef flavor, and fresh flavor treats, and are fortified with vitamins and minerals to support a nutritious diet. All the treats are long chews in an X shape which helps get plaque and tartar from the whole of the tooth. The treats are designed for large dogs weighing 40 pounds or more, so the treats are big. They are reasonably priced and contain either 65 or 76 calories per treat.

The treats do contain some potentially questionable ingredients, like potassium sorbate. There are no studies to find that these ingredients, which are used as preservatives, do directly cause harm (and they have passed safety studies), but some owners prefer to avoid them.

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5. PetHonesty Allergy Support Dog Dental Chews

PetHonesty Allergy Support Fresh Stick Pumpkin Peanut Butter Flavor Dog Dental Chews are natural chews made from a combination of fish oils, apple cider vinegar, and other natural ingredients. As well as being shaped to help combat plaque and tartar buildup, they are also formulated to support the immune system and are beneficial for dogs that suffer seasonal allergies.

The chews are natural and they do fulfill a couple of beneficial roles but they are expensive and the treats are small. While the small size does mean they are suitable for dogs of all sizes, it also means that large dogs need three a day and the packet will only last 10 days. It also means that large dogs will be consuming more than 120 calories from their dental treats alone.

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6. True Acre Foods Dental Chew Sticks

True Acre Foods All Natural Dental Chew Sticks are made from a combination of natural ingredients and come in a variety of flavors including peanut butter or beef flavor, so you should be able to find a flavor to suit even picky pups. The treats are quite large but can be broken down for smaller dogs, and they are very reasonably priced. With 62 kcals in a full treat, they are low in calories, which means you can give them as part of your dog’s daily intake without fear of them putting on too much extra weight.

However, the True Acre Foods All Natural Dental Chew Sticks are quickly demolished, which means they don’t have much chance to clean away tartar or plaque, and they go hard quickly so your dog might struggle to chew them.

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7. DentaLife Daily Oral Care Small/Medium Dental Dog Treats

DentaLife Daily Oral Care Small/Medium Dental Dog Treats are inexpensive dental dog treats that contain chicken flavor to make them appealing to dogs. The textured surface and shape of the chews also help remove plaque and tartar buildup which means they effectively help improve your dog’s bad breath.

Although the manufacturer claims the treats contain holes that keep them chewy, they are quite hard, and the small/medium treats are too big for small dogs but are difficult to break down into smaller sizes.

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8. Minties Medium Mint-Flavored Dental Dog Treats

Minties Medium Mint-Flavored Dental Dog Treats not only have a shape and texture that is designed to help prevent plaque and tartar buildup, but they also contain ingredients like peppermint and a variety of herbs that neutralize odors and replace bad smells with a minty-fresh aroma.

These are medium treats, which are formulated for dogs weighing between 25 and 50 pounds, but there are smaller and larger options available. There could be more sizing options available, but the treats are reasonably priced, and they use natural chicken flavor to make them more appealing to your pup.

The bag also lists colorings among the ingredients, which is unnecessary in dog treats because your pet pooch won’t mind whether they’re green or another color.

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9. Ark Naturals Brushless Toothpaste Medium Dental Dog Treat

Ark Naturals Brushless Toothpaste Medium Dental Dog Treats are expensive chews, but they boast four ways in which they help improve your dog’s dental health. They have ridges for healthy gums, are textured to fight plaque and tartar, contain toothpaste in the center that polishes the teeth, and contain spices that help leave the breath fresher. Designed for medium dogs, you can feed two treats a day.

The treats are very soft when opened, which means most dogs will devour them quickly, but they also go hard and brittle if left in the bag too long.

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10. American Journey Grain Free Dental Dog Treats Mint Flavor

American Journey Grain Free Medium Dental Dog Treats Mint Flavor are mint-flavored dental treats. They’re bone-shaped treats that contain peppermint oil to leave your dog’s breath fresh, while the ridges and shape of the treat help to remove plaque and tartar.

The treats are made using natural ingredients, but they are expensive, and they have an almost rubbery jelly consistency, which means they are consumed quickly and don’t have much time to help fight plaque or tartar in the mouth. The treats are also quite high in calories, with each one containing 98 kcals, which may mean you are unable to feed other treats to your dog during the day.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dental Treats for Dogs

Dental treats aren’t meant as a replacement for regular brushing or visits to the vet to have your dog’s teeth checked. But they can help. They are typically given daily, and they are hard enough that chewing the treats helps remove plaque and tartar, which form the basis of most dental health problems and also cause bad breath. But they do contain calories, so you need to take care to ensure that you don’t feed too many or too often.

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How Do Dental Treats Improve Dental Health?

Dental treats are meant to help support the dental health of your dog. Depending on the treats, they can do this by:

Preventing Dental Disease

Dental disease is a big problem in pet dogs. 80% of dogs over the age of three have some form of active dental disease. This can cause pain. It can also prevent your dog from eating. And, if left untreated, it can lead to infection and other serious problems in the mouth and jaw. Brushing your dog’s teeth regularly and taking them for routine dental checkups at the vet are important elements to help protect your dog’s teeth, but dental treats can also help.

They can help prevent plaque and tartar buildup, which are the main causes of dental disease.

Getting Rid of Bad Breath

Plaque and tartar not only cause dental disease, but they also cause bad breath. Therefore, giving your dog treats that help prevent their formation can help prevent and even get rid of bad breath. Dental treats prevent plaque and tartar by effectively rubbing buildup away.

This is why the treats typically have textured surfaces as well as ridges, nubs, and other elements that help scrape buildup away.

Improving Breath Odor

As well as getting rid of bad breath, some dental treats have ingredients like peppermint oil, another minty substance, or even herbs. These ingredients are typically included because they replace the bad smell that comes from dogs’ mouths with a fresh or minty aroma. If you notice bad breath from your dog when you get too close, minty dental treats could prove a useful solution.

Polishing Teeth

Some dental treats even include toothpaste. The toothpaste is usually inside the treat and as your dog chews on the treat, the toothpaste is effectively applied to the outside of the teeth. This may help prevent plaque and tartar, but it also helps polish the teeth, so they look healthy and shining. This shiny luster not only looks attractive, but it means that food and other debris are less likely to stick to the teeth, offering yet another means of defense.

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What to Consider

When buying dental treats for dogs, there is a wide selection and variety of treats available. While writing the reviews above and choosing the best dental treats, we considered the following factors:

How Long They Last

In order for dental treats to be effective, your dog needs to chew them. And, ideally, they should chew the treat on both sides of the mouth and with every tooth. This is only possible if the treat lasts longer than a few seconds. One of the most important factors to look for when choosing dental treats is that they will last longer than a minute.

How Big They Are

Small dogs have small mouths. At least compared to giant dog breeds. Giving a small dog a large treat means the dog either won’t be able to eat it, or it could even prove dangerous if the treat gets lodged in the throat. Choose a size of treat that is suitable for the size of dog you are feeding. Some treats can be broken down, while others are small and provide guidance on how many you can feed per day, but others are difficult to break either because they’re too hard or have too much of a soft jelly consistency.

Calories

Your dog should only be given a maximum of 10% of their daily calories in treats. The rest of the calories should come as part of a nutritionally balanced, complete diet. This includes dental treats as well as training treats and any other treats you might offer.

The number of calories your dog is allowed per day will depend on activity level and dog size but can vary from around 250 calories a day for a Chihuahua to 2,500 calories or more for a Great Dane. This means that while a giant breed can have 250 calories of treats, a small dog should only be given 25 calories of treats per day.

If the dental stick you give uses all of these calories, you shouldn’t give any training treats that day. Check the calories per treat and, if they are too high, either look for treats with fewer calories or break the treat down into smaller pieces. All treats should contain the calorific content alongside other nutritional values and ingredients.

Ingredients

The ingredients in your dog’s treats are also important. Dental treats will usually include some base ingredients. These provide substance and they also give the treats some texture. Ideally, the treats should use natural ingredients, and you can buy dental treats that are also fortified with vitamins and minerals that can help your dog’s health in other ways.

Avoid those treats that use chemicals or too many ingredients you don’t recognize, or look into ingredients you’re unsure about.

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A Guide to Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth

Feeding dental treats is not a replacement for proper and regular brushing and, unfortunately, your dog won’t be able to brush their own teeth. Ideally, you should start brushing your dog’s teeth when they are as young as possible. Starting when your dog is fully grown can be challenging because having your hand and a toothbrush or finger brush shoved in their mouth is not an appealing prospect for most dogs.

Start out brushing for a few seconds at a time. Make sure you go up and down to the gum line and do the fronts, backs, and tips of all teeth. You can increase the amount of time you brush as your dog gets used to the process. You should brush your dog’s teeth at least three times a week, and ensure your vet gives your dog a full dental check whenever you take them for their annual visit.

What Can I Give My Dog Instead of Dental Treats?

The primary purpose of dental treats is to get rid of plaque and tartar as they start to develop. This is essentially done by rubbing the teeth with an abrasive surface. The use of a chew or treat means that it will hit most of the teeth as your dog moves the chew around. Foods like carrots are a good alternative.

A lot of dogs like the crunch of carrots and they are considered good for our canine companions. It also helps with protecting their teeth.

Do You Still Need to Brush Your Dog’s Teeth?

Dental treats are not a replacement for regular brushing, and you should still aim to brush your dog’s teeth at least three times a week for around 30 seconds at a time, even if you give a daily treat.

It is never too late to start brushing your dog’s teeth. Although it will be easier for you both if you start when your dog is still a puppy, even if they are fully grown, you can still buy a toothbrush and start brushing, building up to longer brushing sessions over time.

Conclusion

Dental health is as important to dogs as it is to people, and you should be brushing your dog’s teeth at least three times a week while also taking your dog for regular dental checkups. Dental treats can supplement this brushing, though, by helping prevent plaque and tartar building.

Above, we have included reviews of 10 of the best dental treats for dogs including Greenies Variety Pack Regular Dental Dog Treats which offer variety, thanks to the three different flavors, and are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Milk-Bone Brushing Chews Daily Dental Dog Treats are an inexpensive alternative, but they are quite hard and quite small so may not be ideal for bigger dogs.

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Featured Image Credit: Ana Sha, Shutterstock