How often should I be brushing my puppy's teeth?

I've read that you're supposed to brush a dog's teeth, but how often should we be doing that with our 8-month puppy? He has chews, including Dentastix and antlers, do these help or should we still brush teeth daily on top of this? He doesn't seem to have any obvious issues (breath or teeth), and it's not something we did with previous family dogs. Would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Hi, really good question! Products such as Dentastix will help to keep the occlusal (or biting) surfaces of the tooth clean, but they do relatively little to reduce the build-up of plaque on the non-occlusal surfaces, especially the sides of the molar and premolar teeth. These are the areas that we most commonly see significant plaque and tartar build-up on, unfortunately. Dentastix specifically do also have some drawbacks - they're very high in energy and while an adolescent 8 month old will probably burn off those calories pretty fast, as he gets older he'll find it harder and harder (especially if he's neutered). At 8 months, his mouth and breath should be fine, so great to hear that it is! But over time, these problems will build up, especially as he should have his permanent teeth now. So I'm sorry to say, but yes - now is exactly the right time to start tooth brushing, and getting into a habit that will last a lifetime (and hopefully save him from extra dental treatment and you from unexpected dental bills!).

Thanks David, appreciate the response. Time to get some toothpaste and a toothbrush.