Dental Care For Dogs! Let me first say, cleaning and scraping your dogs teeth yourself is NEVER to replace a dental visit to your veterinarian. Full sedation is needed to get in and around the gum tissue and other uncomfortable places for your pet. Most veterinary dentists recommend that dogs should have their teeth cleaned once a year. However, this can largely depend on the breed and if the dog has any pre-existing health conditions. Larger dogs tend to need one dental cleaning per year, or in