Abstract
Periodontal disease is a disorder of wide prevalence in dogs, which may cause various complications. It is common that we see calculus deposition in middle and older aged dogs, and brushing is critical for prevention of periodontal
disorders. However, it is not fully investigated that relationship between the form and usability of toothbrushes in dogs. In the current study, we evaluated commercial toothbrushes and discussed the ideal form of the toothbrush for dogs. Three students of Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University performed brushing on 4 dogs using 6 kinds of commercially available toothbrushes for dogs, and evaluated the usability with a multiple choice test. The results showed that the best scores for handling ability, polishing efficiency and users’ satisfaction were made on different brushes, so we could not choose the best one. It was also suggested that brushing was difficult on middle or older aged dogs. Based on the results, we designed and proposed a new toothbrush for dogs, which has advantages of the 6 brushes and considers simplification of brushing process.
