Maltese dental care: vet-recommended brushing

Early gum redness at three years old is actually a really common finding in Maltese — their tiny jaws crowd teeth together in a way that makes plaque build up faster than in larger breeds, so gum disease can get a foothold surprisingly early. The good news is your vet caught it at a stage where a consistent brushing routine can genuinely turn things around. Before I point you toward the right kit, a couple of quick questions: does your Maltese have any strong objections to having her mouth handled, and have you tried any toothpaste or brushing at all so far?

That's a great starting position — a dog who tolerates mouth handling is most of the battle won. For a first-time brushing routine on a small dog with early gum inflammation, the product I'd point you straight to is the Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Toothpaste. It comes in a poultry flavour that most small dogs genuinely accept, and the key thing is that it works enzymatically — meaning even if your brushing technique isn't perfect at first, the enzymes in the paste are still breaking down plaque while it sits on the teeth. That matters a lot when you're building a new habit with a dog who's never been brushed. Pair it with a finger brush rather than a full-size toothbrush to start — much easier to control in a small mouth.

It makes a real difference, especially in the first few weeks when you're trying to build the habit. Virbac's poultry flavour reads as a treat to most dogs rather than something being done to them — a lot of owners find their dog actually licks the brush. Avoid anything mint-flavoured; it's formulated for humans, dogs find it unpleasant, and it can put them off the whole process before you've even started. The C.E.T. paste is specifically designed for dogs and is one of the very few toothpastes with the VOHC seal, which means it has independent evidence behind the plaque-reduction claims. At three, with only early redness rather than established disease, you're in a good window to keep things that way.

If you're brushing daily and doing it consistently, most vets would expect early gingivitis to visibly improve within four to six weeks — the gums start looking less inflamed once the plaque load drops. Your vet will likely want to check back in to confirm it's responding, and that follow-up is worth keeping because if there's any tartar already sitting below the gumline, brushing alone won't shift that — only a professional clean under anaesthetic will. But catching it now, at this stage, means there's a real chance of avoiding that. Daily brushing is genuinely the thing that changes the outcome here.