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- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
While brushing is the gold standard for keeping your dog’s teeth in good shape, sometimes pet parents need a little extra help. Brushing at home can be stressful for both dogs and their guardians, so finding a balance that works best for everyone is key for successful daily care. As the experts say, the best home dental care is the care that actually happens! And that’s where dog dental chews can play a part.
Although not usually effective in removing tartar or calculus—the buildup that’s already hardened on your dog’s teeth—dental chews can work to remove both plaque and bacteria, helping keep your pup’s teeth clean and breath fresh. All dental treats are not created equal, however, so you’ll want to keep an eye on the list of ingredients and digestibility.
To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite dog dental chews for a variety of needs—noting which ones have gained the seal of approval from the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC).
- Best Variety: Greenies Original Chews
- Best for Bad Breath: Purina DentaLife ActivFresh Chews
- Best for Sensitive Stomachs: Virbac C.E.T. Veggiedent Chews
- Best for Allergies: Blue Buffalo Grain-Free Chews
- Best for Small Dogs: OraVet Dental Hygiene Chew
- Best Budget: Pedigree Dentastix Treats
- Best Longer-Lasting: Whimzees Variety Pack
- Best with Toothpaste: Ark Naturals Brushless Toothpaste Chews
Best Variety: Greenies Original Regular Dog Dental Chews
One of the most popular dental chews on the market, Greenies are well-known for their classic green color and bendy toothbrush shape. Pet parents like that the natural ingredients are easy to digest and include vitamins and minerals, while pups tend to love the poultry-flavored taste.
Available in four sizes, Greenies have specific formulas for a wide variety of dogs and needs—from puppies to seniors and weight management to fresh breath.
Key Features:
- Bendy texture; poultry-flavored taste
- Globally sourced ingredients include vitamins and minerals
- Available in four sizes for dogs 5 to 100 pounds
- Special formulas for a wide variety of needs
- Accepted by the VOHC
Best for Bad Breath: Purina DentaLife ActivFresh Dental Chews
Love your pup’s kisses but not a fan of their stinky breath? Made with a proprietary blend of honey and spirulina, the active ingredients in these Purina dog dental chews are designed to fight bad breath at its source. Free of artificial coloring and preservatives, the inactive ingredients include wheat and a tasty chicken flavor.
As far as consistency goes, these chews contain nine ridges and have a porous, chewy texture that pups love but tend to go through in a flash. Reviewers note, however, that they do notice fresher breath even with the short chew life.
Key Features:
- Active blend of honey and spirulina to fight bad breath
- Ridged, porous, chewy texture
- Available in three sizes for pups 5 to 40+ pounds
- Accepted by the VOHC
Best for Sensitive Stomachs: Virbac C.E.T. Veggiedent Dog Dental Chews
If your pup has a sensitive stomach, these plant-based dental treats are not only free of animal protein and wheat gluten, but they include a prebiotic that helps support digestion. With a base of corn, rice, and soy, these veggie chews also contain a relatively short list of ingredients.
The twisty Z-shape design makes it easier for dogs to grip, helping to scrape plaque and bacteria from those harder-to-reach places. The consistency is firmer and crunchier as well, creating a bit more chew life than a standard dental treat.
While these dental dog chews do run on the pricier side, reviewers like the value they provide—with some even breaking the chew into pieces, finding the smaller size sufficient.
Key Features:
- Veggie chew free of animal protein and wheat gluten
- Contains a prebiotic for gut health
- Harder Z-shape design for extended crunch
- Comes in four sizes for dogs 11 to 66 pounds
- Accepted by the VOHC
Best for Allergies: Blue Buffalo Grain-Free Dog Dental Chews
Got an itchy pup? These grain-free dog chews are free of poultry, corn, wheat, soybeans, and grains—all possible triggers for pups who suffer from allergies. Instead, these dental chews have potatoes as the main ingredient and feature carrots, blueberries, pea protein, and parsley.
Pet parents say these chewy ridged dental bones have a taste that pups love but a texture that they go through quickly.
Key Features:
- Made with potatoes, pea protein, and blueberries
- Free of corn, wheat, soybeans, and poultry byproduct
- Chewy ridged texture
- Available in four sizes for dogs from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds
Best for Small Dogs: OraVet Dental Hygiene Chew For X-Small Dogs
Designated for dogs 3.5 to 9 pounds, these extra-small dental chews have a soft, chewy texture that’s great for tinier teeth. While these chews are on the more expensive end, even the pickiest pups seem to like the poultry-flavored taste. Pet parents also love that the vanilla aroma adds freshness to their dog’s breath.
Often recommended by vets, these rectangular-shaped chews contain delmopinol, which is a component found in mouthwashes for humans. Taking a two-part approach, they work by first coating your pup’s teeth and then scrubbing away at the plaque while your dog chews.
Key Features:
- Extra-small size for dogs 3.5 to 9 pounds
- Soft chewy texture
- Contains delmopinol found in human dental rinses
- Accepted by the VOHC
Best Budget: Pedigree Dentastix Dog Dental Treats
Looking to save a bit on dog dental chews? These Pedigree Dentastix offer one of the most budget-friendly options on our list. Offering a chewy texture, the X-shaped sticks are easy for dogs to grip while they scrape plaque and bacteria off their teeth.
Available in three sizes, these dental sticks are made with a wheat and rice base (no soy). A chicken flavor and meaty smell help to entice your pup.
Key Features:
- Budget-friendly option
- Wheat and rice base (no soy), chicken flavor
- Chewy texture in X-shape
- Available in three sizes for pups 7 to 40+ pounds
Best Longer-Lasting Dental Chew: Whimzees Dental Dog Treats Variety Pack
If your dog loves novelty, this variety pack by Whimzees offers three of their most popular shapes in one box with the different textures on each chew helping to stimulate gums and reduce plaque.
Made with limited vegetable-based ingredients, Whimzees are free of animal byproducts, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, gluten, and grains. Reviewers like that the harder, gummy consistency tends to last longer than most of the chews on our list.
Key Features:
- Variety pack with three shapes/textures
- Comes in five sizes for dogs from 5 to 60+ pounds
- Veggie chews free of animal products, gluten, and grains
- Accepted by the VOHC
Best with Toothpaste: Ark Naturals Brushless Toothpaste Dog Dental Chews
These “brushless” chews put a whole new spin on your typical dental dog chew, essentially offering toothpaste but without the toothbrush. The outside ridges of this chew scrape at hard-to-reach spots while the toothpaste center helps polish your pup’s teeth.
Made with long-grain rice, these chews are free of corn, soy, wheat, and artificial flavors and colors, while spices like cinnamon, clove, and vanilla work to naturally freshen breath.
Though your pup is likely to go through the chewy consistency quite quickly, Ark Naturals recommends giving your dog a “brushless” chew twice a day for the best results.
Key Features:
- Brushless chew with toothpaste center
- Spices like cinnamon, clove, and vanilla naturally freshen breath
- Rice base, free of corn, soy, and wheat
- Available in four sizes for dogs up to 80 pounds
How We Chose
The dental chews featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with veterinary experts. We chose dog dental chews based on ingredients, texture, consistency, and value. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pups, who are never stingy with their feedback.
