The Role of Texture: How Crunchy and Soft Homemade Treats Affect Dental Health

When it comes to our furry friends, we want to give them the very best. Homemade treats allow us to provide our dogs with nutritious snacks made with wholesome ingredients. However, not all homemade treats are created equal when it comes to supporting our dog's dental health. The texture of a treat plays a key role in how well it cleans teeth and reduces plaque buildup. Understanding the science behind how crunchy versus soft treats interact with a dog's mouth will help us make educated choices when baking homemade goodies. 

In this article, we'll explore the pros and cons of crunchy and soft treats. We'll look at how a treat's texture impacts dental health by considering factors like abrasiveness and chew time. We'll also overview the science and anatomy behind a dog's mouth to understand how treats affect teeth. 

 

               

 

The Importance of Dental Health

Before looking at how texture influences dental health, it's helpful to understand why dental health matters in the first place. Neglected teeth and gums can lead to a host of health problems for dogs:

• Tooth decay - Just like humans, plaque buildup on dogs' teeth can erode enamel leading to infected cavities that may require extraction.

• Gum disease - When plaque sits on teeth it hardens into tartar that irritates gums, potentially causing infection and receding gums.  

• Oral pain - Tartar buildup and gum disease lead to inflammation and discomfort in the mouth.

• Systemic issues - Bacteria from gum infections can enter the bloodstream and travel to major organs like the heart, kidneys and liver.

• Tooth loss - Severely infected teeth may need to be extracted if decay is too advanced.

Considering the wide-reaching effects of poor dental health, it's clear why maintaining good oral hygiene is so critical for our canine companions.

The Dog's Mouth - Designed for Bones

To understand how different foods and treats interact with a dog's teeth, it helps to consider a dog's mouth anatomy:

• Teeth - Dogs have 42 permanent teeth including incisors, canines, premolars and molars. These various teeth serve functions like ripping, shearing and crushing.

• Strong jaws - A dog's jaws wield impressive force, allowing them to crack hard bones with their back teeth.

• Minimal lips - Dogs have loose lips that don't fully cover their teeth like human lips. This allows direct access for dental abrasion. 

• Saliva - Dog saliva is alkaline which helps cancel out plaque acid but isn't enough on its own to prevent tartar buildup.

Looking at their mouth structure, it's clear dogs are designed as hunters and scavengers able to utilize bones and other hard, crunchy foods. In fact, the main factor that keeps wild canines' teeth clean is chewing on bone. Domestic dogs don't have the same access to bones, so we need to provide dental care through brushing and dental treats.

Crunchy Treat Pros

Now that we understand the important role teeth play in overall health and the design of a dog's mouth, we can explore how crunchy treats measure up. Here are the main benefits crunchy treats provide for dental health:

• Cleans teeth surfaces - Hard, crunchy textures scrape plaque off the tooth surface as dogs chew. 

• Triggers chewing instinct - Dogs are drawn to chew crunchy foods extensively, leading to longer chew time and increased plaque removal.

• Provides abrasion - The rough texture of crunchy foods wears away tartar deposits on teeth as dogs chew.

• Reduces plaque acids - The alkaline saliva released while chewing counteracts plaque acid and remineralizes enamel. 

• Improves breath - As tartar is worn off and plaque reduced, crunchy treats freshen "doggie breath".

• Massages gums - Chewing crunchy treats stimulates blood flow in the gums, keeping gums healthy.

Some great crunchy treat options are:

• Dried chicken or turkey strips

• Beef jerky treats

• Frozen carrots or apple slices

• Oven baked chicken or sweet potato bites

• Dehydrated fruit like bananas

The key is choosing treats that are truly crunchy in texture versus chewy. Things like rubbery chicken strips won't provide the same abrasive qualities.

Downsides of Soft Treats

On the other side of the texture spectrum, soft treats tend to provide less dental benefits. Here are the main downsides of soft treats when it comes to dogs' teeth:

• Sticks to teeth - Without abrasiveness, soft foods cling to tooth surfaces and gaps, increasing plaque.

• Short chew time - Dogs spend less time working on soft foods, so they contact teeth for a shorter duration.

• Doesn't remove tartar - The soft texture does not wear away tartar already adhered to teeth.

• Traps bacteria - Particles embed around teeth and gums, harboring bacteria that cause dental disease.

• Increases plaque pH - Soft foods increase mouth acids that demineralize tooth enamel.

While soft treats aren't ideal for promoting dental health, dogs love variety in flavors and textures.

 

Here are some tips for offering soft treats while minimizing dental risks:

 

• Size - Give treats in small bite sizes so they don't sit in the mouth as long.

• Feed with crunchy food - Pair soft treats with dry kibble to allow abrasive chewing before and after.

• Alternate textures - Balance soft treats out with plenty of crunchy chewing.

• Brush teeth - Ensure you brush your dog's teeth daily if providing soft treats often.

The Chew Experience

In addition to texture, we also have to consider how treats impact the chewing experience. Dogs instinctively want to chew for extended periods, so we should provide treats that satisfy this need.

Harder, crunchier treats give dogs a longer-lasting chew experience that better engages the teeth and gums. Soft, easy-to-eat treats are often swallowed more quickly, which provides shorter interaction with teeth. 

Ideally, we want treats that keep our dogs happily chewing and gnawing for 10-15 minutes or longer. This gives ample time for the abrasive texture to mechanically clean teeth surfaces. Treats that are gulped down in seconds don't provide the same dental benefits.  

Research Comparing Dental Treats

Numerous studies have tested how different treat textures impact dogs' dental health by analyzing plaque and tartar levels after use. Here is some of the research evidence:

• Rawhide significantly reduced plaque and tartar levels when fed daily, more so than dry dog food alone (Watanabe 1990).

• Dry biscuits reduced the bacterial load in dogs' mouths compared to a canned meat diet (Hennet 1999).

• Dogs chewing an enzymatic chew treat twice daily had 42% less plaque after 28 days compared to non-chewing dogs (Clarke 2001).

• Over a 3 year study, tartar buildup was lowest in dogs fed hard kibble and raw hide bones (Harvey 2005).

• Dogs chewing a dental treat bar for 14 days had 52% less plaque and 63% less tartar than the control group (Stookey 2005). 

The body of evidence clearly supports crunchy, abrasive chew treats as the best choice for minimizing plaque and tartar to improve dogs' dental health.

Protecting Dog's Teeth

While texture plays a pivotal role, we also need to ensure treats are made with tooth-friendly ingredients. Some considerations include:

• Avoid excess sugars - High sugar content feeds oral bacteria growth.

• Skip sticky ingredients - Things like nut butters, honey or molasses adhere to teeth.

• Minimal carbs/starches - These break down into simple sugars.

• No harsh acids - Lemons, vinegar and similar acids erode enamel.

• Natural antioxidants - Ingredients like turmeric, cranberries and yams fight bacteria.

• Calcium sources - Calcium from yogurt and cheese remineralizes enamel.

• Phosphorous free - Too much phosphorous weakens and damages teeth.

Monitor glycemic index and avoid excessively sweet treats even if crunchy. Also sparingly use starchy binders like flour.

Baking Better Dental Treats

Now that we understand the science behind how food texture impacts dogs' teeth, let's look at baking homemade treats optimized for dental health. Here are tips for making tooth-friendly recipes:

• Use crunchy bases like sweet potatoes, carrots or apple cores puréed and baked into chews.

• Mix in crunchy add-ins like crushed eggshells, flax seeds, oats or chopped nuts. 

• Dehydrate soft ingredients like bananas, blueberries, yogurt, pumpkin or broth into chewy strips.

• Opt for whole food ingredients over processed add-ins like grain flours and refined sugars.  

• Skip smoothing purees - maintain some texture for chewing satisfaction.

• Make chews very hard - they should take 10-15 minutes for dogs to consume. 

• Experiment with dog-safe spices like turmeric, parsley, mint, cinnamon and ginger to increase aroma and antioxidants.

• Display expiration date prominently - dehydrated treats won't have preservatives and spoil more quickly.

DIY Crunchy Dental Dog Treats

Here is a recipe for crunchy, teeth-cleaning treats your dog is sure to adore:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour 
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup carrot purée (cooked, blended carrots)
• 1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt  
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp fresh turmeric, minced
• 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, minced 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, mix together whole wheat flour, baking powder, turmeric and parsley. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together carrot purée, Greek yogurt and eggs.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix into a stiff dough.
5. On a floured surface, roll dough out 1⁄4 inch thick and cut into bone shapes (or any shape!)
6. Arrange spaced on baking sheet and bake 20 minutes until hard. 
7. Turn oven off and leave in 2 more hours to fully dehydrate into ultra crunchy chews!

Let cool completely before giving to your pup. Store uneaten treats in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. For more all natural healthy recipes check out our recipe catalog!

The natural carbohydrates in the whole wheat flour will satisfy your dog’s sweet tooth, while the Greek yogurt and carrots provide vitamin enrichment. The wheat germ and flax add an extra tooth-scrubbing crunch. Best of all, the hard texture and enticing flavor will keep your dog engaged in satisfying, teeth-cleaning chewing!

Conclusion

The dental benefits provided by crunchy treats over soft alternatives are clear. Through abrasive cleaning action, tartar removal and extended chew time, crunchy textures are ideal for supporting dogs' oral health. Take advantage of your dog's instinct to chew and gnaw by providing tooth-friendly crunchy treats. Monitor ingredients to avoid hidden dental dangers like excess sugars. With some creativity, dog owners can easily bake tailored homemade treats that clean teeth while dogs happily chew away. Crunchy, DIY dental treats are sure to bring you and your dog lots of tail wags and smiles!