Brush your dog's teeth! If you start them as a pup, they really don't mind. Begin by simply rubbing your finger across the teeth, praise the pup for letting you put your fingers all around in his mouth. Purchase a little doggy tooth brush or one of the finger brushes. Never use human tooth paste, dogs will swallow it. Any big pet supply store, such as PetSmart or PetCo carry a dog tooth paste---beef or chicken flavored ---umm yummy?! New on the market are "pop-up" wipes that are treated with tartar preventative to simply scrub across your dogs teeth and throw away. The Nyla Bone and Gumma Bone products such as this "Dental Dino" and the bone with bumps give the toy breeds a good workout for their teeth and gums. Appropriate chew toys not only help with oral health, but to prevent unwanted chewing on things like furniture.

Have your vet check for retained baby teeth when the pup is spayed/neutered. Many toy breed dogs will retain the canine teeth or even several baby teeth. The best time to have them removed is when the pup is having their spay/neuter surgery at about 6-8 months of age.

It is normal for toy dogs to need their teeth professionally cleaned. Keeping your dog's mouth healthy will prolong their life. Bacteria travel from the mouth directly to the blood stream and can cause damage to the heart.

What about bad breath? First check for a bad tooth or tartar build up, a vet should be consulted if a problem is found. Products are available that contain Chlorhexidine that freshen the dogs breath and helps break down the tartar. They are available at your vet's office or one of the dog supply companies. If the teeth look good but the dog has awful breath, then maybe the food is the cause. You might try switching to a lamb and rice or a food without corn.

The products such as "PetAlive Gumz-nTeeth" in the link above has also shown some help in preventing tooth decay and tartar build up which can occur in Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese dogs.