Dentastix vs Greenies Review: Compare Which Dental Chew To Get Your Dog

When it comes to dental care, that of dogs often gets overlooked. Part of the reason for this is that dogs don’t like being fooled within the mouth area unless you are playing with them or they are eating! Using treats for clean teeth is an alternative to brushing and it can also help bridge the dental care gap between cleanings at your vet or the occasional brushing you may get in.

Dentastix and Greenies are two of the most popular choices when it comes to dog dental treat chews and there is a reason why almost every dog owner chooses any of the two. Making the choice may not be so easy if you just see them at the store. Scout is going to compare the two so you can decide more easily what is best for your dog.

It is worth noting that all the dog dental chew options discussed in this post have been shown to be effective in reducing plaque, tartar buildup, and bad breath from your canine family members. The differences lay in ingredients and price point.

Sizes Available

Both Denta stix and Greenies come in different dental stick size. The regular or large size is suitable for a lot of dogs though but you have a small dog or you have multiple dogs of different sizes you can always break the dental hygiene chew in half and give it to your small dog.

Variety

Both Dentastix and Greenies come in a variety of flavors and formulas. Greenies offers a hip and joint version for example. This post is comparing just the regular and grain-free varieties of each brand.

Dentastix Nutritional Info

Ingredients

Rice Flour, Wheat Starch, Glycerin, Gelatin, Gum Arabic, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Poultry Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C], d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Folic Acid, Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E]), Potassium Sorbate (A Preservative), Smoke Flavor, Zinc Sulfate, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Iron Oxide Color, Copper Sulfate.

Caloric Content

76 kcal/dental treat

CRUDE PROTEIN	8.0% min
CRUDE FAT	1.0% min
CRUDE FIBER	4.5% max
MOISTURE	18.0% max

Greenies Dental Chews Nutritional Info

Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Glycerin, Gelatin, Oat Fiber, Water, Lecithin, Natural Poultry Flavor, Minerals (Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium, Potassium Iodide), Dried Apple Pomace, Choline Chloride, Fruit Juice Color, Vitamins ( Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source Of Vitamin E], Vitamin B12 Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate [Vitamin B5], Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Folic Acid), Turmeric Color.

Caloric Content

90 kcal/dental treat

Guaranteed Analysis
CRUDE PROTEIN	30.0% min
CRUDE FAT	5.5 % min
CRUDE FIBER	6.0 % max
MOISTURE	15.0% max
CALCIUM	0.5% min
PHOSPHORUS	0.4% min
NIACIN	14 mg/kg min

Dentastix Wins Round One

While Greenies offers more protein, I try to stay away from treats and dog food that has a lot of wheat, corn, or soy in them. What I do like is that they do not have any artificial colors, flavors, or animal digest. Dentastix is also free of these ingredients and contains rice as the first ingredient which is one of the only grains I feed my dogs. From my perspective, the Dentastix offers a much better value and price point than the Greenies.

Dentastix has fewer calories per treat too, which may be relevant if you are trying to watch your dog’s weight.

Grain-Free Option

Greenies do offer a grain-free version of their chews for a little more money. These are made with Chickpeas and Potatoes rather than wheat! Dentastix also has a grain-free version made with Chickpeas and Potatoes.

Greenies Grain-Free Nutritional Info

Dried Chickpeas, Gelatin, Glycerin, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Potato, Water, Lecithin, Natural Poultry Flavor, Minerals (Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium, Potassium Iodide), Dried Apple Pomace, Choline Chloride, Fruit Juice Color, Vitamins ( Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source Of Vitamin E], Vitamin B12 Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate [Vitamin B5], Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Folic Acid), Turmeric Color.

Caloric Content

138 kcal/dental treat

CRUDE PROTEIN	23.0% min
CRUDE FAT	5.5% min
CRUDE FAT	7.0% max
CRUDE FIBER	11.0% max
MOISTURE	15.0% max
CALCIUM	0.5% min
PHOSPHORUS	0.4% min
NIACIN	14 mg/kg min

PEDIGREE DENTASTIX Grain Free Dog Dental Treats for Large Breed Dogs

Dentastix Grain-Free Nutritional Info

Potatoes, Chickpeas, Glycerin, Tapioca Flour, Pea Starch, Gelatin, Natural Poultry Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source Of Vitamin C], D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement [Vitamin B2], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Vitamin D3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source Of Vitamin E]), Potassium Sorbate (A Preservative), Smoke Flavor, Zinc Sulfate, Turmeric, Green Tea Extract, Iron Oxide, Copper Sulfate.

97 kcal/dental treat

CRUDE PROTEIN	14.0% min
CRUDE FAT	2.0% min
CRUDE FIBER	3.0% max
MOISTURE	14.0% max

Grain-Free Options Analysis

Dentastix is still more affordable than Greenies but each treat does have fewer calories. Greenies have a whopping 138 calories per treat compared to the Dentastix at 97 calories.  The ingredients are not that much different, although one distinction is that the Greenies contain apple which could be a bit more appealing to your dog due to the sweetness. Of course, this may also be part of the reason why the calorie content is so much higher.

Healthy teeth are important. While we know that getting your dog to let you brush their teeth may be close to impossible, there are some other things you can do to help reduce the amount of tartar and plaque on your dog’s teeth. Keep dog chews around. They don’t have to be food either.

Chewing helps reduce plaque and tartar but you may not always want your dog to be eating something. Check out our post on The 10 Best Dog Bones for Power Chewers for a few options.

Consider A Water Additive

There are liquids you can add to your dog’s water to keep your dog’s breath fresh and reduce plaque buildup and tartar. These are usually sold in bottles like dog’s mouth wash, and you add a cap or two to your auto-watering device. These additives also help keep the water bowl fresh and clean.

SynergyLabs Dental Fresh Original Formula, 32oz

Hard Kibble

Feed your pooch hard kibble most of the time; the crunchiness of kibble helps dogs maintain clean teeth. I know dogs love wet food, but if they can eat dry at least part of the time it is better for their oral hygiene.

It All Adds Up

Anything you do to help your dog’s dental health is great. You don’t have to brush your dog’s teeth daily but it is good to do a few of the things talked about in this post. Scout hopes that you have decided to take doggy dental care more seriously and that your dog enjoys some great dental treats no matter which dog treat you opt for.

For more interesting reads:

• Doggy Dental Care
• Doggie Dental: Homemade Toothpaste & Maintaining Teeth at Home
• Dog Dental Insurance: The Best Plans and Why You Need It
• The 13 Best Dog Bones for Aggressive Chewers