Dog toothbrush and toothpaste (UK): what to buy
The short answer
- Our pick
- A £6.79 pack of kooa finger covers and a £4.89 tube of Beaphar dog toothpaste cost £11.68 together at zooplus in November 2026, and that is enough to start the habit the charities care about. The Beaphar tube was out of stock on 2 November, so until it is back, the £8.99 Arm & Hammer set does the same starting job.
- On a budget
- The Arm & Hammer set (brush with two heads, finger cot and coconut-mint paste) was £8.99 at zooplus in November 2026, which is the cheapest way to get all three pieces in one box.
- Don't buy
- Anyone buying a £19.49 tube before the dog will let you lift a lip, anyone using human toothpaste or mouthwash, and anyone whose dog has a sore mouth, a cracked tooth or a smell that has just changed. That dog needs a vet, not a brush.
On this page
Most advice on dog toothbrushes is a shopping list. The thing that decides whether any of it gets used is a dog that will let you near its mouth, and no product fixes that. A £19 tube of paste in the cupboard and a dog that backs off the moment you pick it up is the usual outcome.
So this guide does the cheap bit first. It says what a starter kit needs, what it cost in October 2026, and then spends more time on how to get a dog to accept it, which is where the money is actually saved.
What does a dog toothbrush kit need?
A dog toothbrush kit needs only two things: a toothpaste made for dogs, which is safe to swallow, and something to put it on, either a finger cover or a small brush. PDSA says to use pet toothpaste because it is safe for your dog to swallow. RSPCA says human toothpaste is not suitable. Everything else is optional.
That is the whole shopping list. The rest of this page is about picking between a few cheap options and not overspending.
What the charities actually say
I read the PDSA and RSPCA pages on this for the guide. Blue Cross returned an error when I tried to open its page, so I have not quoted it.
How often. PDSA says “a regular daily brushing or at least three times a week will significantly reduce the risk” of serious dental problems, and that brushing away plaque before it turns into solid tartar is the best way to prevent dental disease. RSPCA says to start teeth cleaning when the dog is a puppy and to brush every day to get them used to it.
How to start. PDSA’s order is: let the dog taste the dog-safe toothpaste so it feels like a treat, rub a soft cloth gently along the gums with a reward each time, move to a finger brush, then to a proper dog toothbrush. It says to go slowly over a few weeks, and the longer handle on a dog brush helps you reach all the teeth.
If the dog objects. PDSA’s line is that if your dog is unhappy with you touching its mouth, you shouldn’t push it, and you should never put yourself at risk. I agree, and I would go further. A dog that has been held down for a toothbrush once will make the second attempt harder.
Older dogs. PDSA says “it’s never too late to start” and that many older dogs get used to it with time. So an adult from a rescue is not a lost cause.
Chews. RSPCA says dental chews and treats are a good way to help keep teeth clean, but treats are an addition. Chews also carry calories, which matters if you are already counting them in training treats.
Ask your vet to show you. RSPCA recommends asking your vet to show you the best way to do it, because jaw shape and tooth alignment differ between breeds. A flat-faced dog and a Collie are not the same job.
Finger cover or brush?
For a first month, I would use a finger cover. You can feel where the lip is, you can stop instantly, and the dog meets something soft that smells of paste. It is also the first step in the PDSA sequence.
A brush has two advantages: the handle reaches the back teeth, and the bristles do more than fabric. PDSA moves dogs on to one once they are comfortable. That is the point at which a two-headed brush starts to earn its place.
The kooa pack of finger covers is 95% nylon and 5% spandex, ten pieces, about 5 x 2cm, and washable at 40°C according to the page. It suggests replacing them every 6 to 8 weeks with daily use, so ten covers last a long time. Note the page says the item may take longer to arrive because it can ship from outside the UK.
What it cost in October 2026
| Product | What it is | Price at zooplus |
|---|---|---|
| kooa Dental Care Fingers | 10 reusable finger covers | £6.79 |
| Beaphar Toothpaste Liver, 100g | Liver-flavour paste | £4.89 (sold out on 2 November 2026) |
| Arm & Hammer Dental Care Set | Two-headed brush, finger cot, coconut-mint paste | £8.99 |
| Plaqtiv+ Toothpaste, 70g | Malt-flavour paste | £19.49 |
Two other items on the zooplus category page were not available when I looked: the kooa Dental Care Set was sold out, and the Vet’s Best cleaning pads showed a “notify me” link.
The products, one at a time
Arm & Hammer Dental Care Set: £8.99
The page describes a 360° brush with two heads, a larger one for the canines and big teeth and a smaller one for the incisors and molars, plus a silicone finger cot and a coconut-mint paste. The listed ingredients are coconut oil, sodium bicarbonate, beeswax, carnauba wax, aloe extract, grapefruit seed extract, peppermint oil and sodium benzoate. Neither fluoride nor xylitol appears in that list.
- Good: everything in one box for under £10, and the finger cot gives you the PDSA first step.
- Bad: one review, 5.0 out of 5, which proves nothing. The tube size is inconsistent on the page (55g in the text, 70g and 85g in image captions), so I would check the box. Grapefruit seed extract and peppermint oil are not what I would pick for a dog that is fussy about taste or sensitive to smell.
Beaphar Toothpaste Liver: £4.89 for 100g
On 2 November 2026 the 100g tube showed as out of stock at zooplus, so check before you build a basket around it.
Beaphar’s page says no fluoride, a two-enzyme system to reduce plaque and tartar, and non-toxic if swallowed. Those are the maker’s claims. The main ingredients are water and glycerin, with liver powder, egg powder, silica and zinc citrate.
The rating is the thing to look at: 2.9 out of 5 from 33 ratings, with 15 one-star scores. Many of the one-star reviews describe vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach upset, and some describe skin irritation. They are anecdotal and I cannot verify them. But it is a repeated theme on a page with a low average, so I would buy a single 100g tube rather than a multipack, and see how the dog takes it. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, ask the vet before you start.
- Good: the cheapest paste I found, at £48.90 per kg, and a liver flavour.
- Bad: the reviews, and the page sells it for dogs and cats, so check the pack for the dog dose instructions.
Plaqtiv+ Toothpaste: £19.49 for 70g
Plaqtiv+ is non-foaming, malt-flavoured and safe to swallow according to the page, with “Xpersiv technology to prevent tartar build-up” and zinc chloride for breath. Those are the maker’s words. The page has no reviews at all, and the price works out at about £27.84 per 100g.
I would not start here. Four times the price of the Beaphar tube, with nothing from independent sources to say it does more. If a dog has accepted brushing and you want to try another paste, fine. As a first purchase it is the wrong order.
- Good: non-foaming, which some dogs prefer.
- Bad: price, and no reviews on the page I opened.
Brushing is not the same as a dental clean
Brushing keeps plaque off teeth that are already clean. It does not remove tartar that has already set. If your dog already has hard brown deposits, bad breath that has changed, a tooth that looks cracked or a mouth it flinches about, go to the vet before buying anything. PDSA says to contact your vet if you suspect dental disease, to book a routine dental check at least once a year (it suggests combining this with the annual booster), and to seek an urgent appointment if your dog cannot close its mouth or is too sore to eat.
That is as far as this site goes on the clinical side.
What I would not spend extra on
A premium paste before the dog accepts the brush. Getting a dog to tolerate a lifted lip takes the same weeks of practice whether the paste is £4.89 or £19.49.
An electric dog toothbrush. I did not look at any, and I would not pay for the novelty before a plain finger cover has worked.
Human toothpaste or mouthwash. Both are the wrong product. RSPCA says human toothpaste is not suitable, and PDSA says never to use human mouthwash or antibacterial gels on a dog.
Matched sets with a “dental” label. A set is fine if it saves you buying three things. It is not better because it is a set.
Who should skip this
If your dog will not tolerate a hand near its mouth and you have tried the slow approach for a few weeks, stop. Dental chews, or a vet visit to ask what is realistic for that dog, are better than a battle. PDSA says not to push it.
If your dog has pain, bleeding gums, a broken tooth or has stopped eating, none of this applies. That is a vet appointment.
If you are on a tight budget this month, you do not need any of this yet. A soft cloth on a finger and a dog-safe paste is the PDSA’s own second step, and costs next to nothing.
What to do next
- The puppy grooming kit puts the toothbrush in the order of everything else a coat and nails need.
- Dog brushes by coat type covers the other brushes, and a calm dog on a brush table is a head start for the toothbrush too.
- Dog training treats matters here more than you would think, because the reward after each brushing session is what keeps the habit going.
- The puppy checklist shows what to buy before collection day and what can wait.
Prices were checked on zooplus.co.uk pages in October and November 2026 and move often (rechecked on 2 November 2026: kooa fingers £6.79, Arm & Hammer set £8.99, Plaqtiv+ £19.49, Beaphar £4.89 but sold out, and the Beaphar three-pack no longer listed); product descriptions, ingredient lists and claims are the retailer’s and makers’ own. Brushing guidance is from PDSA (dental care and dental disease pages) and RSPCA (dog teeth page), read in October 2026; Blue Cross could not be opened. I have not tested these products. Nothing here is veterinary advice — speak to your vet before starting a routine if your dog has a sore mouth, a medical condition or is on medication, and see a vet if you notice changes in its teeth or breath.