A popular belief is that tartar is caused by the lack of abrasive food to clean the teeth. Many people mistakenly believe that feeding dry dog food keeps the teeth clean. One need only look at the teeth of dogs fed on certain dry foods to realise that this is not so. (Does your own mouth feel clean after eating biscuits?)

It is true that bone and hide and other hard food will help to clean the teeth but the real cause of tartar is an accumulation of waste matter in the body. These wastes are dissolved in the body fluids including the saliva. When the saliva washes over the teeth much of this debris settles out and forms plaque which hardens to form tartar.

There are now specialist veterinary diets which are intended to manage tartar by creating an abrasive cleansing effect. This technique is unnecessary if the underlying cause i.e. the accumulation of waste products is tackled properly.

It is possible to avoid tartar without the need for special diets or even for brushing the teeth. Correct nutrition works by eliminating waste from the system.