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The latest news on COVID-19:

During the COVID-19 crisis, get updates and information at ADA and your state’s website. Please follow the official guidance, stay safe and help limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Contact Us if you have more questions and thank you for your cooperation.

My Daughter-in-Law, the Pit Bull

Author: Dental Geek
07.13.10 / 3:38 pm

OK, so maybe this blog entry is a little off-topic, or rather, off-species, but here goes.

I am the proud owner of a 1-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever named Quick. He is truly the best dog I have ever owned and, ironically, he loves to have his teeth brushed. To me, there is nothing less attractive on a dog than nasty, blackened teeth. I take great pride in my dog’s oral healthcare, possibly even more than my own. I have several meat-flavored toothpastes, brushes of all shapes and sizes, and a myriad of oral breath sprays, parsley-flavored breath biscuits, and even a canine tongue scraper.

My dog, Quick, routinely goes to daycare. The daycare center, which is known as Paws-itive Experience (www.trainadog.com), houses between 30 – 50 well-behaved dogs on a daily basis. Quick is friendly with all of his “classmates,” but he has a serious crush on a two-year-old pit bull named Alant. This lovely pit bull is grey and white, of medium size and has two different-colored eyes, one light blue and one brown. Needless to say, she wouldn’t win many dog beauty contests. My dog is obsessed with her, and she with him. If any other male dog tries to approach her, she gives him a “get away” look and barks in his face, but not Quick. Alant showers Quick with kisses and routinely stands on her hind legs with her front paws resting on Quick’s back, as if to show she has claimed her man.

I finally met Alant’s owner the other day. Alant’s mom is a conservative tax attorney who melts into mush when she sees her little girl. Alant’s mom, Gina, commented on how white Quick’s teeth are and asked me for some tips. I told her that I would bring my canine dental supplies to daycare the next day and show her the ropes.

Sure enough, the next day at 6:00pm I met Gina and proceeded to show her how I brush Quick’s teeth. Poor Alant was none-too-receptive to having her teeth brushed. I tried a finger-cot brush with flexible bristles, just using one finger to brush her ivories. Well, Alant was receptive to this technique, or else she just liked the bison-flavored organic dentifrice. Other people filtered into the daycare to observe me happily brushing a pit bull’s teeth. After the small group dispersed, I was convinced by the owner that I should conduct a class on Good Canine Oral Health at the daycare this weekend. I didn’t think I could become MORE of a dental geek; I think I have now gone overboard. Needless to say, I strong-armed my veterinarian, a personal friend, to stand by my side and handle the clinical stuff.

Maybe a new career as a Registered Canine Dental Hygienist?!?!

I will keep you posted on how the weekend munch-and-learn goes!

Dental Geek

Dental Geek

3 responses to “My Daughter-in-Law, the Pit Bull”

  1. You are not alone my friend. We had a Golden and a Rottie and used to brush their teeth and scrape tartar on a regular basis. The dogs seemed to really enjoy the process. The cat, not so much.
    ~Hal

  2. I wish I would have started brushing my cat’s teeth long ago…I’d be missing a finger if I tried at this point…

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