I've always brushed my dog's teeth. Pets Mart or Petco has poultry flavored toothpaste. My Mollie (black lab) is 13 and I've never had to have her teeth cleaned and has beautiful white teeth with no tartar. I also give her greenies. I don't give my dogs bones because our husky cracked a tooth on it which became abscessed and was quite costly but vet was able to save part of the tooth. It was one of the mandibles in the back. Also little dogs with the longer hair around the mouth do get a lot more bacteria development in their mouth which effects their teeth.