Almost every dog owner knows it: that breath that makes you recoil when your dog enthusiastically tries to lick your face. Bad breath, yellow-brown plaque on the teeth, sometimes even visible tartar. It's often dismissed as a normal dog problem. But it isn't - and the cause almost always lies in a combination of factors, of which diet is one.
No added sugars or carbohydrates
Wolfork - honest food that aligns with the biology of the dog
How do bad breath and tartar actually develop?
Dental problems in dogs almost always start with plaque - a sticky layer of bacteria on the tooth surface. When plaque calcifies, tartar forms: the hard yellow-brown deposit that can no longer be brushed away. And it's these same bacteria that cause the typical musty dog breath by producing volatile sulphur compounds.
Dental health in dogs is influenced by multiple factors: genetics, breed, chewing behaviour, oral hygiene - and diet. That last factor is interesting, because it's the only one that has a direct influence on the bacterial environment in the mouth every day, at every meal.
Bacteria that cause plaque thrive on fermentable carbohydrates - sugars and starches. This is a fundamental principle from dentistry that also applies to dogs. The less substrate available for those bacteria, the slower the plaque build-up.
What is actually in most kibble?
Standard kibble contains an average of 30 to 60% carbohydrates - grains, rice, potato, maize, peas - as a binding agent and energy source. These carbohydrates are partly broken down in the mouth by salivary amylase, releasing fermentable sugars that are immediately available to bacteria on the tooth surface.
Wolfork contains no grains, no starches, no potato and no other carbohydrate sources that ferment in the oral cavity. The ingredient list consists of raw animal proteins and fats - exactly what the dog as a carnivore biologically needs, and which leaves little to no bacterial substrate in the mouth.
Whether this structurally leads to less tartar in practice? That's a more honest question than you might expect.
What does the science actually say?
We want to be honest here, because that's who Wolfork is. There is currently no published clinical research that demonstrates that a complete raw diet is structurally better for dental health in dogs than commercial kibble. A systematic review by Van Veggel & Armstrong (2017), published in Veterinary Evidence, searched three major scientific databases and found literally zero relevant studies on this specific question. The authors conclude that more research is urgently needed.
Scientifically honest
The absence of evidence does not mean there is no effect - it means it has not yet been studied. There is a reason for this: the financial incentive for kibble manufacturers to research this is negligible. Wolfork believes the mechanistic logic is strong. But we say it as it is.
What we do know are two things. First: the effect of chewing on raw materials. Marx et al. (2016) demonstrated in a study with Beagles that chewing on specific raw beef bones led to a rapid reduction in tartar - a mechanical cleaning effect. Second: tooth brushing remains, also in the scientific literature, the most effective intervention for dental health in dogs.
The myth: 'raw food is bad for your dog's teeth'
You hear it regularly - from well-meaning acquaintances, sometimes even from vets: 'raw meat contains bacteria that are bad for the teeth' or 'raw bones are dangerous.' The second is partly true, but the first has no scientific basis whatsoever.
Myth
"Raw food damages your dog's teeth."
There is no research whatsoever that supports this. The confusion about bones is understandable: cooked bones can splinter and are dangerous. But raw, soft bones - or only finely ground raw bone, as with Wolfork - are not. On the contrary: the mechanical structure of raw meat can have a mild cleaning effect on the tooth surface.
What can you do in practice?
Dental health is multifactorial. No single measure stands on its own. What demonstrably helps:
Our position
We believe that food without fermentable carbohydrates is beneficial for your dog's oral health - the mechanistic logic is strong. But we say it as it is: clinical evidence for complete raw diets is still lacking. What we do know for certain: Wolfork contains no added sugars or starches, and that is a deliberate choice that aligns with the biology of the dog. The teeth are just one part of a bigger picture.
Raw food that aligns with the biology of the dog
No grains - No starches - No added sugars
Sources
Van Veggel, N. & Armstrong, M. (2017). In Dogs with Periodontal Disease Is Feeding a Complete Raw Meat Diet More Effective Than a Complete Kibble 'Dental' Diet at Reducing Periodontal Disease? Veterinary Evidence, Vol. 2, Issue 2. DOI: 10.18849/ve.v2i2.88
Marx, F.R. et al. (2016). Raw beef bones as chewing items to reduce dental calculus in Beagle dogs. Australian Veterinary Journal, 94(1-2), 18-23. DOI: 10.1111/avj.12394