By Holly & Tara

Tartar and plaque build up in their teeth (just like humans!) so brushing is required. When my boy was on kibble, I would brush daily. Kibble-fed ferrets MUST have their teeth brushed, since the kibble is dry and absorbent and has carbs, and will sit on the teeth - especially the gum-line. (Raw-fed ferrets don’t need to worry about teeth-brushing, since eating bones has the same effect of brushing teeth. Always raw bones - never cooked or dehydrated!)

You can use a DIY holistic paste made from a mixture of human-grade bone meal powder (or cuttlefish powder) and warm water (or extra virgin olive oil) to make a gritty paste, and then wrap some gauze around your finger tip (to use as a non-abrasive brush) or a q-tip and GENTLY massage along the gum-line and where there is any visible tartar build-up.

As far as "commercial" dental products for pets- the safest dental product that does NOT contain risky ingredients (like sugars for flavoring [sorbital, malt, dextrose...etc] and/ or aloe, tea-tree, mint, or other toxic ingredients) is "MaxiGuard OraZn" Pet Oral Care. This is an unflavored gel that does NOT require brushing, and very little is needed at a time. That, or MaxiGuard Oral Cleansing Gel. This product is recommended cat, dogs, and exotics. It is available through many veterinarians, and on amazon.

Manufacturers website: https://addisonlabs.com/product/maxiguard-orazn/

Brushing teeth is pretty easy though! I just get the q-tip with a little toothpaste (or just water if he's had a bad day) on it, scruff him, and GENTLY rub the gums and teeth like you would brush your own teeth, paying attention to the gums specifically. Bonus points if you can get your fuzzy to bite down on it but... yeaaaaah (my boy hates it and refuses to open up).