Dental powders are often grouped together as if they function the same way.
They don’t.
To understand how DentaMax works, you first need to understand how systemic dental powders work for plaque and tartar control and how that differs from mechanical plaque control.
This is not about scraping teeth.
It’s about influencing the oral environment from within.
Mechanical vs Systemic Plaque Control
Most traditional dental products rely on mechanical action.
Examples include:
- Brushing
- Dental chews
- Coated kibble
- Water additives
These approaches depend on direct contact with the tooth surface.
If contact is inconsistent or incomplete, plaque continues to form in hard-to-reach areas, especially along the gumline and between teeth.
Systemic dental powders take a different approach.
They work internally.
How Systemic Dental Powders Work
Systemic dental powders are mixed into food and ingested daily.
After digestion, specific clinically studied ingredients are absorbed and circulated through the bloodstream. These compounds are then excreted into saliva.
Saliva constantly bathes the teeth and gums.
By influencing the composition of saliva, certain ingredients help make the oral environment less favourable for plaque accumulation.
This is the core principle behind how systemic dental powders work .
It is not mechanical scraping.
It’s biological plaque control through saliva.
The Role of Ascophyllum Nodosum
The active ingredient in DentaMax dog & cat dental powder is Ascophyllum nodosum for dogs , a specific North Atlantic brown marine alga.
In controlled clinical studies conducted on this ingredient, daily intake demonstrated:
- Up to 32% reduction in plaque
- Up to 35% reduction in tartar
- Up to 67% reduction in gingival bleeding
These results are associated with the specific ingredient studied — not arbitrary multi-ingredient blends.
Ascophyllum nodosum has been used in products recognised by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC), reflecting alignment with established plaque-reduction standards.
Understanding how Ascophyllum nodosum supports plaque and tartar control is essential when evaluating systemic dental powders.
What Makes This Different From Chews or Charcoal?
Many dental products rely on surface abrasion or cosmetic masking.
For example:
- Chews attempt to scrape plaque mechanically.
- Activated charcoal in dog dental powders may bind substances in the digestive tract but does not provide clinically validated systemic plaque reduction.
- Sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) in dog dental powders depends on sustained direct tooth contact and is typically applied as a coating on kibble.
Systemic powders built around a clinically studied ingredient operate differently.
For a complete overview of dental powder options available locally, see our guide to dog & cat dental powder in South Africa .