If you’ve heard that dogs have cleaner mouths than humans, you aren’t alone. Unfortunately, this simply isn’t true.

This myth is likely perpetuated because, after cleaning wounds, dogs rarely get infections. In addition, if bitten by a dog, the bite isn’t likely to get infected, but this isn’t because a dog’s mouth is cleaner than ours.

Most pet owners spend very little time, if any, cleaning and brushing their dog’s teeth. Without regular cleaning, your dog’s mouth becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. This seems especially obvious when you start to think about the kinds of waste your dog can be found rummaging around in. When dogs clean their wounds, they are ridding themselves of dead skin cells, which in turn helps prevent infection. And because the bacteria in their mouth is specific to their species, we aren’t affected by their saliva.

For more information, call your vet Montgomery County or click here.