Best Dental Dog Food

Updated January 2020
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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more 
Bottom Line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dental Dog Food
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet
Dental Dog Food
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Customer Favorite
Bottom Line

Besides cleaning your dog's teeth, this food was also made to support joint health as well as a healthy digestive and immune system.

Pros

Texture and shape of kibble promotes chewing and scraping of plaque and tartar from teeth. Great for preventing gingivitis and halitosis. Fortified with vitamin E, vitamin C, lutein, and taurine. For dogs of all sizes.

Cons

Prescription item.

Wysong Optimize – Wild Caught Salmon
Wysong
Optimize – Wild Caught Salmon
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Solid Supplement
Bottom Line

If buying a dedicated dental-health dog food isn’t in your budget, this all-around healthy high-protein food topper is a helpful supplement.

Pros

Salmon is the first ingredient. Includes green-lipped mussels and mushrooms for joint health and as an immune system boost. Includes “DentaTreat” supplement for oral health.

Cons

It’s a supplementary food topper, not an entire diet.

Best Bang for the Buck
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets DH Dental Health
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets
DH Dental Health
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Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

Although it’s a pricier dry dog food, its large crunchy bites of bumpy chicken nugget-like kibble is surprisingly effective at cleaning a dog’s mouth.

Pros

Crunchy kibble texture considerably reduces built-up tartar. Chicken is the first ingredient. Excellent for dogs of all ages and sizes. Healthy formula. Made in America.

Cons

Prescription item.

Hill's Science Diet Adult Oral Care
Hill's Science Diet
Adult Oral Care
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It Gets Results
Bottom Line

If your dog is swallowing their dental-health food whole, these huge chunks are guaranteed to force any canine to chew their way to clean teeth.

Pros

Especially large chunky pieces promote chewing behavior, allowing this food to dramatically reduce plaque and tartar buildup. Chicken is the first ingredient. A low-calorie food.

Cons

May be too large for the smallest breeds to handle.

Hill's Prescription Diet t/d Dental Care Small Bites
Hill's Prescription Diet
t/d Dental Care Small Bites
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Good for Small Dogs
Bottom Line

A solid dental-health dog food with tooth-scraping chunks that are just large enough to convince small breeds to chew them.

Pros

Puffy, chicken-flavored nuggets promote chewing to help eliminate plaque. Reduces bad breath. Added antioxidants for immune system health.

Cons

Prescription item. Brewer’s rice, corn, and chicken by-product are the first 3 ingredients.

Why trust BestReviews?
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Read more  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more 
How we decided

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

11 Models Considered
5 Hours Researched
1 Experts Interviewed
217 Consumers Consulted
Zero products received from manufacturers.

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

No one wants to see their best friend afflicted with bad breath, swollen gums, or large patches of brown tartar plastered on their teeth, and incorporating a dry food crafted with your dog’s dental health in mind will go a long way toward protecting that lovable smile. Dental dog foods are often offered in larger pieces with a noticeable texture that will brush away the plaque, tartar, and bacteria that causes rancid breath with each bite. Although many of these special formulas require a prescription, it’s worth visiting your vet before your dog experiences oral health issues.

The team that worked on this review
  • Angela
    Angela
    Editor
  • Arnold
    Arnold
    Writer
  • Melinda
    Melinda
    Web Producer

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