Dental problems can even be deadly in some instances. Swollen, irritated gums can get infected, which may allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Even if the bacteria don’t find a way into the bloodstream, infected teeth can abscess and make it impossible for a dog to eat. If the abscess bursts, it can also develop a secondary infection, which may be deadly.
Therefore, taking care of your dog’s teeth is vital. Luckily, there are quite a few ways that you can go about this—one of which is dog teeth-cleaning toys. While you shouldn’t just rely on these toys, they can provide some extra cleaning power for your pooch.
Of course, not all of them are made equal. If you are looking to keep your dog’s teeth clean, then you should only invest in the best. We’ll review some of the best dog teeth-cleaning toys below to help you decide which one may be best for your dog.
In this article
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2026
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Teething |
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Best Value
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Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Twisty Bone Dog Toy |
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Premium Choice
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Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Dental Chew Toy |
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Check Price |
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KONG Dental Dog Toy |
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Check Price | |
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Dog Treat Toy Ball |
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The 8 Best Dog Teeth Cleaning Toys
1. Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Teething Ring Dog Toy – Best Overall
| Material: | Plastic |
| Scent: | Bacon |
Of all the toys on the market, the Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Teething Ring Dog Toy is easily the best overall dog teeth cleaning toy. Not only does it do a decent job of cleaning your dog’s teeth, but it is also one of the most inviting toys out there, which increases the chance that they’ll actually use it.
It is designed for mild to moderate chewers, so it probably won’t withstand the toughest chewers out there. However, the ring construction is pretty durable, as long as your dog isn’t known for absolutely shredding toys.
This toy also has a bacon scent that makes it quite inviting to dogs. In fact, this scent is very durable and long-lasting, so it should make the toy more inviting for months to come.
With many different nubs, this toy is designed to help rub your dog’s teeth, preventing tartar build-up. Of course, it does depend on your dog actually using it and getting their teeth into the grooves, but it’s much easier than trying to brush your dog’s teeth.
- Bacon scented
- Durable construction
- Different nubs
- Removes plaque
- Suitable for dogs up to 50 pounds
- Not for heavy chewers
2. Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Twisty Bone Dog Toy – Best Value
| Material: | Plastic |
| Scent: | Bacon |
For those looking for something a bit cheaper, the Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Twisty Bone Dog Toy is the best dog teeth cleaning toy for the money. It is much cheaper than the competition, but the design is still very effective at helping your dog’s teeth get clean. It features a twisted design that rubs your dog’s teeth and gums, helping them stay clean.
The flexible plastic can withstand up to moderate chewing. However, if your dog is known for shredding toys, then they will probably shred this one without much of a problem and you’ll have to look elsewhere if your dog is a strong chewer.
The bacon scent helps attract your dog to the toy and sticks around for quite a long time. Therefore, your dog will be brought back to the toy continuously, helping keep their teeth clean over time.
Because this toy is cheaper, you are giving up some features. It just isn’t as durable as other options out there, and the plastic material can make it dangerous if your pet starts to shred it. Plus, it is quite small and only suitable for smaller dogs.
- Bacon scented
- Twisted design helps remove plaque
- Flexible plastic for moderate chewers
- Inexpensive
- Not super durable
3. Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Dental Chew Toy – Premium Choice
| Material: | Nylon |
| Scent: | Bacon |
Compared to other toys, the Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Dental Chew Toy is a bit more expensive than other options. However, it is made of nylon, not plastic. It’s more suitable for tougher chewers and it also features a DentaShield coating which rubs off on your dog’s teeth and prevents new tartar from forming.
Therefore, while it is more expensive, you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck. In our view, the extra cost is absolutely worth it for these extra features, especially if the few extra dollars wouldn’t be a problem for you.
This bone features an actual, edible center that is bacon flavored. However, the outside is made of nylon and designed to clean your dog’s teeth. while your dog is trying to eat the middle, they are also keeping their teeth clean with the raised nubs.
However, once the middle is gone, it is gone. Therefore, this toy may not be as long-lasting as other options, though some dogs are still interested in it after the middle is gone.
- DentaShield coating
- Edible, bacon-flavored middle
- Raised nubs for cleaning your dog’s teeth
- Many colors available
- Not as long-lasting as other options
4. KONG Dental Dog Toy
| Material: | Natural rubber |
| Scent: | No |
The KONG Dental Dog Toy is a rubber toy with grooves and ridges to help clean your dog’s teeth and gums. As with classic KONG toys, you can stuff inside the grooves with your pup’s favorite treat to encourage them to explore it further. It can double and triple as a fetch and chew toy, so it offers a fun experience that suits many play styles. Like all KONG rubber toys, it can be put in the top rack of your dishwasher for easy cleaning.
This toy is made of durable rubber to help extend its lifespan, though it is not recommended for aggressive chewers. Additionally, it comes in only two sizes (large and x-large), so it may be too large for smaller breeds to play with safely.
- Can be stuffed with treats to encourage play
- Rubber grooves clean teeth and gums
- Dishwasher friendly
- Can satisfy numerous play styles
- Not for aggressive chewers
- May be too big for some dogs
5. Dog Treat Toy Ball
| Material: | Rubber |
| Scent: | No |
Unlike most toys designed to clean your dog’s teeth, this Dog Treat Toy Ball is specifically designed for playing. While some dogs may decide to chew on it, that is not its primary purpose, so it may be a good option for dogs that just aren’t very interested in chew toys.
This toy is made from natural rubber, which makes it quite bouncy. For dogs that like to chase things, this is a great option. It also features an antiskid surface so it won’t slip out of your dog’s mouth if they do decide to chew on it, and the small grooves help clean their teeth as they play.
Overall, this toy is extremely simple. However, because it isn’t made for serious chewing, it may not help keep your dog’s teeth quite as clean as other options—it’s best for those that just won’t use chew toys, which are likely more effective.
- Made from rubber
- Simple design
- Antiskid surface
- Not for heavy chewing
- Not as effective as other options
6. Pet East Dog Chew Toy for Aggressive Chewers
| Material: | Rubber |
| Scent: | Bacon |
The Pet East Dog Chew Toy for Aggressive Chewers is another dog toy for aggressive chewers. It is specifically designed to help larger dogs get their teeth clean. It accomplishes this in the same manner as most dog teeth cleaning toys—with various nubs spread throughout its surface. The idea is that the dog chews on the bone, rubs its teeth against the nubs, and comes away with cleaner teeth.
To encourage dogs to chew, this toy does come with a bacon scent. It seems to be quite long-lasting, so your dog should keep chewing for months to come. Because this bone is rubber, it is often more satisfying for dogs to chew as well.
Because this chew toy is designed for tougher chewers, it is more durable than other options out there. However, that doesn’t mean that it will be able to stand up against all tough chewers, though.
This toy is a bit more expensive than most, likely because it is made with higher-quality materials. The nubs may also not be the most effective, as they are quite spread out. There is no toothbrush-like surface on this toy, which also may limit its effectiveness.
- Designed for tough chewers
- Bacon scented
- Fun rubber texture
- Expensive
- Nubs aren’t very effective
- Heavy
7. Petizer Dog Squeaky Toy for Aggressive Chewers
| Material: | Rubber |
| Scent: | No |
While the Petizer Dog Squeaky Toy for Aggressive Chewers isn’t blatantly advertised as being for teeth cleaning, it is designed to be like a toothbrush. Therefore, it does a pretty good job of helping your dog’s teeth stay clean, assuming that they use it extensively. You can even put toothpaste into the groove, which should help your dog’s teeth stay even cleaner.
As the name suggests, this toy is designed for tougher chewers. It is made out of rubber for this reason and comes with a slightly higher price tag. It is sized to work for medium to large dogs, so smaller breeds should look elsewhere.
Unlike most chew toys, this one squeaks. For dogs that like squeaky toys, it may not get much better than this.
- Made for tough chewers
- Squeaks
- Grooves to add toothpaste
- Expensive
- Not as durable as other options
- Squeaker isn’t very high-quality
8. Arm & Hammer Chew Toy for Pets
| Material: | Rubber |
| Scent: | No |
The main draw of the Arm & Hammer Chew Toy for Pets is that it comes with real baking soda infused into the toy. Baking soda is a great cleaning agent, though its effect on a dog’s teeth is largely unknown. It may provide a cleaning effect that can help your canine’s teeth stay super clean. However, we don’t exactly know its effects.
This toy is also for very small dogs. While that isn’t necessarily a problem, it does mean that larger dogs will have to find something else. Plus, this toy is a bit expensive for what we’ve typically recommended for smaller dogs.
To help your dog’s teeth stay clean, this toy does feature a bunch of different grooves. These are all very small to account for smaller dogs’ tiny teeth. Therefore, if your dog is smaller and a heavy chewer, then this toy might be a great option.
- Comes with baking soda
- For smaller dogs
- Many grooves across the surface
- Not the most durable toy out there
- Breaks off into large chunks, which can be dangerous
- Expensive for the size
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Dog Teeth Cleaning Toy
Keeping your dog’s teeth clean can be a challenge. For this reason, it is vital that you only choose the best dog teeth cleaning toy out there. Otherwise, the toy may not actually do much to help you on your quest of avoiding canine periodontal disease.
While these may just be another toy, choosing the perfect one for your canine can be challenging. Much of this is because we don’t have a good idea of what actually helps keep your dog’s teeth clean and what doesn’t. Very little research has been done on these toys, so we only have the company’s claims to go off of in most cases (and you can guess how accurate those are).
So, to help you choose the best toy, let’s take a look at the science we do have behind these toys.
How Do Dog Teeth Cleaning Toys Work?
These chew toys help keep your dog’s teeth clean simply through the mechanical action of chewing. The more your dog chews, the more their teeth are scraped. This scraping helps remove plaque and tartar, which is the top cause of periodontal disease in dogs. Therefore, if you’re looking to keep your dog’s teeth clean, encouraging them to chew isn’t a bad idea.
However, it also depends on the surfaces they chew on. If the surface scrapes more of their teeth, then it is likely that it will help clean them. That’s why many teeth cleaning toys have nubs of some sort. It allows the toy to scrap all the way to the gum line, which helps remove more of the gunk on your dog’s teeth.
Therefore, choosing a toy that does as much scraping as possible is recommended.
Some of these toys also take toothpaste, which may improve your dog’s dental help even further. You should use only toothpaste designed for dogs since human toothpaste can contain harmful ingredients.
If you need guidance on keeping your dog’s teeth clean, we suggest you speak to a vet.
If you need to speak with a vet but can't get to one, head over to PangoVet. It's our online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the advice you need for your dog — all at an affordable price!
Factors to Consider
Now that we know how these toys work, let’s take a look at some of the most essential factors to keep in mind:
- Size. You want to choose a toy that matches the size of your dog. If your dog is larger, you’ll need a larger toy. This not only allows the toy to withstand your dog, but it also ensures that the nubs are the right size to clean their teeth.
- Chew-ability. If your dog doesn’t like chewing on the toy, its teeth aren’t going to get clean. Therefore, the toy should be very tempting for your canine and bring them back again and again. Some dogs are pickier in this regard than others. The best thing to do is consider your dog’s own preferences when choosing a toy.
- Durability. You want a chew toy that is going to last a decent while. You don’t want to spend money on a toy that is only going to break after a few uses, after all. Plus, toys that break can actually be quite dangerous for our canines, as they may consume pieces of them. If your dog is a heavy chewer, then this factor needs to be considered even more heavily.
- Price. These toys can be surprisingly expensive. You should choose a toy that is within your budget, but also consider how long that toy is expected to last. You may actually save more money in the long run by choosing a more expensive toy that will last longer, rather than a cheaper one that only lasts for a month or two.
Our Selection Process Dog Teeth Cleaning Toys
To create this buyer’s guide, our writing team and editorial staff checked customer reviews, brand reputation, and veterinary approval ratings to present the dog teeth cleaning toys we think should be highlighted for our readers. In some cases, we conducted hands-on testing along with seeing how much our dogs liked the dog teeth cleaning toys. All these factors were considered when selecting these listed dog teeth cleaning toys to help you make the best purchase for your furry friends.
Why Trust Dogster?
Since 2004, Dogster has been a trusted brand for dog owners online, which means we have a lot of experience with dog teeth cleaning toys. We take pride in promoting the well-being of all dogs—from toy breeds to giant canines. Our in-house veterinarians, writers, and editors examine each product on our lists, ensuring its quality and reputation. As pet owners ourselves, we only want the best for our furry companions. At Dogster, we are transparent about the products we promote. The nutritional information, overall brand reputation, and customer reviews are all considered for these lists. We inform you how we want to be informed.
Conclusion
Choosing dental chew toys for your dog may be the difference between clean teeth and periodontal disease. While you can’t only rely on these toys for your dog’s dental health, they can help quite a bit.
For most canines, we highly recommend the Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Teething Ring Dog Toy. This simple toy is bacon-scented to encourage chewing and comes with many different nubs to clean your dog’s teeth.
We also found the Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Twisty Bone Dog Toy to be a solid budget option. The twisty design helps remove plaque and keep your dog’s teeth clean, while the lower price makes it more accessible.
Our premium choice is the Hartz Chew ‘n Clean Dental Chew Toy, which has the tartar prevention DentaShield coating. A definite bonus!
We hope that you were able to find a great dog tooth cleaning toy for your canine. We also recommend that you look at other ways to keep their teeth clean, such as dog toothpaste and dental treats.
