The 8 Best Dog Toothpastes Australia: Tested & Evaluated 2024

Have you decided it’s time to step up your canine companion’s oral hygiene routine? Good for you, and your dog! Healthy teeth are very important for dogs.

However, it can still be hard to choose the right product if you want to offer the best to your dog. So what to do? Luckily, you've come to the right place! Today’s guide will help you find dog toothpaste that is both effective and safe for your dog.

We teamed up with veterinarians and dog parents to form our expert panel of researchers. After months of testing and more than 50 different toothpastes trialed, we compared notes and finally agreed on this list. Ahead, we share the best dog toothpastes Australia offers as well as our expert guidance concerning canine dental care. Let's get to it!  

Australia's Best Dog Toothpaste Options Reviewed

As we mentioned, our professional panel has researched and reviewed all of the most popular options in Australia when it comes to dental care for dogs. After comparing notes and results, we were able to agree that the following dog toothpastes are some of Australia's finest.

Below, you’ll find some of the best products available at every price point and style.

This toothpaste from Sentry, called Petrodex, is one of the most popular dental products for dogs in the world. The popularity alone must say something about the quality of this product.

During the trial phase of our research, I quickly learned that it's always best to go with a tried-and-true formula when it comes to toothpaste for dogs. Instead of foaming agents, it uses an enzymatic formula that gets the dog’s teeth clean without confusing the dog with foam. Enzymatic toothpaste is very effective against plaque and tartar, and is something that even our number two option relies upon to great effect. 

According to our expert panel, if you use the Petrodex toothpaste on your dog's teeth two to three times per week, you can rest assured their teeth are as protected as they can be.

Finally, there is no need to wash out this toothpaste like humans do. It is completely safe for dogs to swallow it, and this makes the whole process a lot easier. Moreover, the dogs will probably also like the taste of this toothpaste (it tastes like chicken). If you have never brushed your dog’s teeth before, the enticing flavour can be really helpful to get them used to it.

Some of the pet parents who participated in our research were a little disappointed that their dog’s mouth didn't smell minty fresh after brushing. But let's be honest, that’s really not what doggie toothpaste is made to do anyway. It is only us humans who associate a mint fragrance with cleanliness.

Overall, this is a great product if you want proper dental hygiene for your canine companion.

Virbac is another leader on the market when it comes to dental health of pets. The company was formed in France in 1968 but it has quickly gone international and became one of the leaders in the world of veterinary pharmaceuticals. The CET Enzymatic Toothpaste is among their most popular products. In short, it is a quality dog toothpaste that really works.

The formula of this toothpaste is based on the tried-and-true enzymatic formula that most other manufacturers use too. The enzymes in the toothpaste will clean your dog’s teeth without creating foam, like our number one option.

My dogs seem to like it, and testimonies of many happy pet parents confirm that this toothpaste does work. The formula is also safe to swallow. It is suitable to be used every day too. It will work best in a combination with a doggie toothbrush or fingerbrush.

One unique thing about this toothpaste is that it contains gentle abrasive elements too. That means it is more effective at cleaning existing plaque and stains from the dog’s teeth than the competitors.

Bad breath is quite a common problem in dogs. Pups that feed on a raw or home-cooked diet often develop quite a smell in their breath. This is not a problem for the dog, but it can be a bit annoying for the owner. Luckily, with the EZDog toothpaste, this problem becomes easy to fix, and your dog gets healthier teeth as a bonus!

This is another non-foaming toothpaste that you don’t have to rinse out. Unlike some other toothpastes that have flavours enticing to dogs, but not so nice-smelling for humans, this one has a natural vanilla flavour. Our panel of experts came to the consensus that their dogs tend to like this flavour too, which made getting them to agree to teeth brushing much easier. The toothpaste is sweet-tasting, but sugar free. The sweet flavour comes from Stevia instead, which is one of the healthiest sweeteners available.

In addition to all of this, the EZDog toothpaste is also great for keeping the dog’s teeth and gums healthy. The formula is designed to prevent plaque and tartar formation. Finally, Triplepet has also added tea tree oil that keeps the gums healthy! All of this and at a price considerably lower than many of the other options on our list.

This dental hygiene kit from Nylabone includes everything you need to get started the right way when it comes to your puppy’s teeth. The kit includes a tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a fingerbrush.

The toothbrush that’s included in this kit has been designed especially for young puppies. The brush is smaller than standard dog toothbrushes and it comes with soft nylon bristles that are gentle on your dog’s teeth. The brush also has an angled neck which makes it easier for you to brush your puppy’s teeth thoroughly.

If you’ve never brushed your pup’s teeth before, you probably won’t know what’s going to work the best. That’s why this kit also includes a fingerbrush. A fingerbush might look funny at first, but it’s easy to use and some dogs, like mine, respond better to it than to the regular toothbrush. 

The toothpaste itself is effective in fighting plaque and bacteria. It has a peanut butter flavour, which most dogs seem to love. The kit is also available in “Adult” and “Senior” versions, where the shape of the toothbrush is adapted to the age of your dog. Our panel of researchers loved this extra touch.

The TropiClean Fresh Breath Gel is definitely the mintiest option among dental care products. This product works slightly differently than other types of toothpaste, which is why they call it a “gel”. Unlike our number one and two dental products for dogs, this one doesn’t contain the enzymes. Rather, it contains a mix of natural ingredients that should help prevent plaque and tartar build-up.

This gel is also quite easy to use. All you need to do is apply two drops of oral gel to your dog’s teeth and the gel will spread throughout your dog’s mouth as they start licking. Brushing the teeth is not required with this gel, but the manufacturer says it might be more effective combined with brushing.

This product includes spearmint and green tea leaf extract to naturally freshen the breath. This sounds nice, but there are two possible downsides to this formula. First of all, not all dogs will like the minty taste of this gel. It’s probably best for dogs who are already used to having their teeth cleaned. Second, green tea extract could be slightly toxic to dogs.

Many pet owners in our expert panel used this gel without any complaints, though, so there will most likely be no issues.

If you are looking to buy a dog toothpaste and a toothbrush together, this kit from Vet’s Best is another great choice. Similar to our number four pick, the pack includes a pack of toothpaste with a natural freshening formula and an innovative toothbrush designed to make cleaning the dog’s teeth as easy and thorough as possible.

The toothpaste by Vet’s Best includes an enzymatic formula which makes it effective at fighting bacterial plaque. Other than that, it also contains peppermint oil, clove leaf oil, and baking soda to freshen the breath and soothe the gums.

The toothbrush included in this kit actually has three heads. That means that there are bristles on three sides, forming a “U” shape, which all members of our independent team of researchers loved using. The toothbrush can thus envelop your dog’s teeth from all sides, ensuring every corner gets brushed thoroughly without too much gymnastics required on your side. 

Some dogs simply don’t like brushing. They might get used to the flavoured toothpaste, but poking around their teeth with a toothbrush? This can scare some pups. In such a situation, finger pads like those from Vet’s Best can be quite helpful.

These disposable pads simply go over your finger, and then you can use your finger to scrub the dog’s teeth in a circular motion. For many dogs, this will seem more friendly and it will help them get used to dental hygiene. Moreover, guided by your own sense of touch you can clean all the hidden corners with ease.

The pads are soaked with a cleaning formula that leaves helps prevent plaque and leaves behind a gentle minty smell, like that of our number six choice. Our panel of experts felt that while this is a great option for quick on-the-go touchups, it may not be a solid replacement for classic toothbrushing.

This toothpaste from DentiPet is another effective solution for cleaning your dog’s teeth. This toothpaste comes in two flavours - chicken and beef. From that it should be clear, the makers of this paste were focused on making the smell appetising to the dog. This should help convince even older pets who are not used to brushing to endure the process of teeth cleaning.

Just get started by offering a bit of the paste to the dog, and they will keep coming back for more. At least it was that easy with my dog, thankfully.

Besides tasting good, of course, the DentiPet paste will help remove residue and stains from your pooch’s teeth. What makes this toothpaste effective are the gently abrasive ingredients it contains, similar to our number two choice by Virbac.

The Importance Of Dental Care For Dogs

Dental hygiene is an area that is often overlooked when it comes to pet care (1). However, periodontal disease is one of the most common chronic infections in dogs (and humans, coincidentally) (2).

Periodontal disease is caused by the build-up of bacterial plaque and debris on the dog’s teeth. If left untreated, periodontal disease can not only ruin your dog’s teeth but also possibly cause other health complications (3). The good news is that dental disease is easy to prevent with good oral hygiene.

The key to success is starting early. So, get a dog toothbrush and toothpaste now, and ensure a happier life and healthy oral hygiene for your canine companion.

How To Choose Toothpaste For Dogs?

If you’ve tried shopping for dog toothpaste online, you must have noticed that there are literally hundreds of options available. So how do you know which one is good and which one isn’t? We asked our panel of independent experts that very questions. Here are some of their key points to consider:

Effectiveness

When you buy dog toothpaste, you obviously want it to be effective. It can be hard to understand the ingredients just by looking at them, so the easiest choice is always to go with tried-and-true products that many pet parents have tried before you.

In general, dog toothpaste is made very differently than those for humans. A good dog toothpaste will contain no foaming agents, as this could be quite disturbing for the dog. Instead, most toothpaste products for dogs contain enzymes with antibacterial properties (4).

Safety

When buying any product that your dog will eat, it’s important to make sure that it is safe to use. When it comes to dental products for dogs, it is essential that anything you put on their teeth is safe to swallow too. After all, you can’t really expect the dog to rinse their mouth and spit out the water. Therefore, any safe dog toothpaste will be safe to swallow too. No matter if it’s a natural dog toothpaste or a regular formula, make sure there are no toxic ingredients inside.

Flavour

Last but not least, the flavour is a very important factor in dog toothpaste. Most dogs won’t instinctively like getting their teeth brushed, but if the flavour of the toothpaste is enticing enough, they will not be able to resist it. I suspect that this was the only reason why I've been able to successfully brush my little guys teeth for these last few months!

That is why many doggie dental products are made with flavours like chicken or pork. However, if you want to give your dog a fresher breath, there are also some types of toothpaste with nicer flavours, like vanilla, available. It’s not guaranteed that every dog will like that but it never hurts to experiment.

Final Verdict

Every dog toothpaste a responsible pet parent should use needs to be both safe and effective. So which two would our panel of independent experts return to time and again? The Petrodex Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs and the Virbac CET Enzymatic Toothpaste definitely fit the bill.

Both of these kinds of toothpaste are tried-and-true options tested by our team of vets and pet parents that had plenty of great things to say about them. Both feature a formula with enzymes that kill bacteria and are flavoured like meat so the dogs will love them.

References

1. “How should I take care of my cat or dog’s teeth?”. RSPCA. Retrieved June 25, 2023. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/how-should-i-take-care-of-my-cat-or-dogs-teeth/
2. Pavlica Z, et all. (2008). "Periodontal Disease Burden and Pathological Changes in Organs of Dogs". Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. 2008;25(2):97-105. doi:10.1177/089875640802500210
3. Watson, A. D. J. "Diet and periodontal disease in dogs and cats." Australian Veterinary Journal 71.10 (1994): 313-318. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1994.tb00905.x
4. Vigil, S. "Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs". The Nest. Retrieved June 27, 2023. https://pets.thenest.com/enzymatic-toothpaste-dogs-10606.html