Teeth brushing
Teeth brushing at the groomer: a $10 add-on with any bath or groom
Dog breath is the thing owners mention most at pick-up and do least about at home. A brushing at the groomer is a small, cheap habit that helps, provided you know what it is and what it is not. This page sets that out plainly, with the price and how to add it.
Who adds it
Small dogs, seniors, daycare regulars and anyone who cannot brush at home
Small breeds and flat-faced dogs, whose crowded mouths tend to collect more plaque, are the first candidates: shih tzus, Yorkies, cavaliers, pugs and French bulldogs among the Dogtown regulars. Seniors of any size come next. Then the practical case: the dog who will not let you near its mouth at home but stands calmly for our groomers because it is already on the table, already relaxed after a warm bath, and is used to hands on its face from every groom.
Teeth brushing is an add-on, not a stand-alone appointment. It rides on a bath ($55 to $95 by size) or a full-service groom ($75 to $120), or it can be added to a nail trim visit if a groomer has the time. It is not a replacement for the veterinary dental exam, and we will not pretend it is. If your dog's breath is strong, the gums are red, or a tooth looks broken, we tell you at pick-up and suggest a vet visit rather than another brushing.
- Small and flat-faced breeds: shih tzus, Yorkies, cavaliers, pugs, Frenchies
- Senior dogs of any size
- Dogs who refuse the toothbrush at home but relax on the table
- Any dog already booked for a bath or groom who could use fresher breath
How it is done
Two minutes on the table, after the dry, with dog toothpaste
The brushing happens near the end of the appointment, once the dog is clean, dry and settled. A groomer lifts the lip and brushes the outer surfaces of the teeth with a soft finger brush or a small dog toothbrush and an enzymatic dog toothpaste, which is safe to swallow and comes in flavors dogs accept. Human toothpaste is never used. The inside surfaces get a quick pass only if the dog allows; most of the buildup owners can see is on the outside of the upper back teeth.
The whole thing takes two or three minutes. A dog who has never had it done gets a shorter first pass, with the brush introduced as a treat before it goes in, so that the next time is easy. We do not restrain a dog to force it; if a dog will not accept the brush, we stop, skip the charge and tell you. The $20 behavior or handling surcharge is not applied for a declined brushing.
- 01
Add teeth brushing to the bath or groom when you book, or ask at drop-off
- 02
The groom runs as normal: bath, dry, brush-out and any cut
- 03
Once the dog is settled, the groomer introduces the toothpaste as a taste
- 04
Outer surfaces of the teeth are brushed with a finger brush or small dog brush
- 05
A quick pass inside if the dog allows, then a rinse of the brush and a treat
- 06
A note at pick-up if we saw anything you should ask your vet about
Price
$10 on any bath or groom, with the other small add-ons alongside
Teeth brushing is $10, added to the price of the bath or groom your dog is having. Most owners pair it with nail clipping at $16 and, on a coated dog, a face trim at $10, which together turn a plain bath into a full tidy for a little more than the size price. If you brush monthly on a daycare-day bath, the routine costs $10 a month and takes no time out of your week. Rebooking at pick-up saves $5 on the next appointment.
Overnight guests on the Deluxe bundle take 15 percent off grooming services and Classic guests 10 percent; unlimited daycare members take 15 percent on every groom. If you cancel a grooming appointment without notice, a $10 cancellation fee is charged. Grooming needs no evaluation, so a bath with teeth brushing can be your dog's very first visit to Dogtown, and a gentle one at that.
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Teeth brushing | $10 |
| Nail clipping | $16 |
| Face trim | $10 |
| Sanitary trim | $10 |
| Whitening shampoo | $8 |
| Bath only, by size | $55 to $95 |
What it does
Fresher breath and a habit kept up; not a dental cleaning
Be clear about the limits. Brushing removes soft plaque from the tooth surfaces and freshens breath. It does not remove tartar that has already hardened, does not reach below the gum line, and does not treat a sore tooth or infected gums. Those are jobs for your veterinarian, and no groomer should tell you otherwise. What a monthly brushing at the groomer does is slow the build-up between those vet visits and keep your dog used to having its mouth handled.
At home, the same two minutes a few times a week does more than any monthly visit; our how-to guide on brushing your dog's teeth shows the sequence. Think of the groomer's brushing as the backstop, not the plan. On Cape Ann, where a beach dog chews driftwood at Wingaersheek and a trail dog picks up sticks on Dogtown Common, a groomer's look inside the mouth every few weeks also catches the chipped tooth or the splinter in the gum early.
- Removes soft plaque and freshens breath
- Keeps the dog used to mouth handling between vet checks
- Does not remove hardened tartar or treat gum problems
- Catches chips and splinters early so you can call your vet
Getting here
Windows, the Pup Van and a brushing on a daycare day
Drop off for grooming inside our windows: weekdays 6:30 to 9:30 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6:30 PM, Saturdays 8 to 10 AM, 12 to 1 PM and 4 to 6 PM. The Pup Van runs at $10 each way in Rockport, Gloucester, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea and can bring a dog in for a bath with teeth brushing and take it home again. Owners elsewhere on the North Shore can ask the desk for a quote.
If your dog comes to daycare, add the bath and the brushing to a daycare day and the whole routine disappears into a day the dog was already having. Overnight guests can have it added to the last-day bath so the dog comes home from a week away clean, brushed and fresh-breathed. Either way the brushing is noted in the app's report card so you know it was done.
At Dogtown
The bath the brushing rides on
Teeth brushing is an add-on to a Dogtown bath or groom, and the bath fits inside a daycare day or an overnight stay.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Is teeth brushing at the groomer worth $10?
What toothpaste do you use?
Can you brush my dog's teeth without a bath?
My dog has bad breath. Will this fix it?
How often should my dog have teeth brushing at the groomer?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Add it to the next bath.
Book a bath or groom online or in the Dogtown app and tick teeth brushing for $10. No evaluation is needed for grooming.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
