You may want to start off with softer edible chews (vegetable based). As the dog destroys a chewing habit, you can provide harder chews. PRAISE correct chewing. Do not allow access to inappropriate chews such as socks or shoes, or very hard chews like sterilized bones until the dog is an experienced chewer of approved items.

The primary cause is aggressive chewing on hard objects such as rocks, fencing, or hard treats such as cow hooves, bones or hard nylon toys. The broken tooth exposes the delicate pulp and nerve endings making life extremely painful for the pet. Food and other debris of daily doggyhood can get impacted in the fracture and attract bacteria leading to infection, the loss of the tooth, or worse.

Chewing provides an important stress relieving mechanism. To prevent broken teeth, make sure that you have several approved toys that are safe for your pet to chew. This will satisfy a natural instinct and keep him away from inappropriate or dangerous objects. Kong toys and softer chews such as rawhide are recommended.

Dental experts also recommend making sure that your pet gets plenty of regular exercise  to help prevent pent up energy that could lead to destructive chewing. Just as the human family gets regular dental examinations and cleanings, you should take your pet to the veterinarian at least yearly for a comprehensive physical examination that will include a look at you pet's entire mouth.

What to look for

One sign of dental problems are excessive drooling in pets that don't normally salivate very much, loss of appetite or seeming to favor one side of his mouth.