Wet Food vs Dry Food — Which is Worse for Your Dog's Teeth?

Where the belief comes from

The idea that dry food is better for dental health has been accepted wisdom in veterinary circles for decades — and it wasn't entirely wrong. Studies from the 1980s and 1990s did show lower tartar accumulation in dogs fed dry food versus wet food diets. However, those early studies compared standard dry food against standard wet food without controlling for other factors — chewing behaviour, breed, saliva composition, or whether the dry food was being chewed at all. More recent, better-controlled research has produced a considerably more nuanced picture.

The chewing factor — dry food's real mechanism

The dental benefit of dry food, when it exists, comes from mechanical abrasion — the physical action of teeth contacting a hard surface. But this only happens if the dog actually chews. Multiple studies have found that a significant proportion of dogs — particularly small breeds, brachycephalic breeds, and food-motivated dogs of all sizes — swallow standard-size kibble with minimal chewing. When this happens, the mechanical cleaning benefit is essentially zero. For a dog that swallows kibble whole, dry food provides no more dental benefit than wet food in terms of mechanical cleaning. Both coat the teeth with food residue, which bacteria then metabolise to form plaque.

What wet food actually does to teeth

Wet food is undeniably more adherent — it tends to stick to tooth surfaces more readily than dry food. This does mean more immediate plaque substrate for bacteria. However, the key variable is not the food type but what happens after eating. In dogs that receive daily brushing regardless of food type, the difference between wet and dry in terms of dental health outcomes is substantially reduced. The large-scale veterinary studies that identified diet as a risk factor for periodontal disease found that the most significant dietary risk factors were:

• Feeding wet food as the primary diet without supplementary dental care
• Feeding human table scraps (high in fermentable carbohydrates)
• Ad libitum feeding (food available all day) compared to meal feeding

Dental-specific wet foods

The framing of "wet vs dry" is becoming less relevant as dental-specific formulations exist in both categories. While the VOHC-accepted dental diets are currently all dry foods, the dental benefit of these products comes from their specific formulation — polyphosphate coatings, fibre matrix texture, piece size — not simply from being dry. For dogs that genuinely cannot eat dry food — brachycephalic breeds with jaw compression, dogs recovering from dental surgery, senior dogs with few remaining teeth — wet food paired with daily brushing, dental gels, and water additives provides a viable path to good dental health. Food type is not destiny.

A practical framework

If your dog eats dry food: Check that they're actually chewing it — particularly small breeds with tiny kibble. Consider switching to a dental-formulated kibble (VOHC-accepted). Continue daily brushing — kibble does not replace it. If your dog eats wet food: Daily brushing becomes even more important to compensate for the higher plaque adhesion. Add a VOHC-accepted water additive. Use a dental gel applied to the gumline on days when brushing isn't possible. If your dog eats a mix: The middle ground is fine — just ensure your dental care routine is consistent regardless of what's in the bowl. The brushing habit is the variable that matters most.