Table 1.

Recommendations regarding tooth brushing (DO)

Has it ever been recommended to you by a veterinary clinic to brush/clean your dog’s teeth? Brush refers to brush with toothbrush. Cleaning refers to cleaning with textiles, e.g. finger cloth, microfiber, other textiles or gauze. (Q8)	Yes	25,337 (43.1%)
	No	31,364 (53.4%)
	Don’t know	2067 (3.5%)
When you received the recommendation at the veterinary clinic, did the information lead you to initiate brushing/cleaning your dog’s teeth? (Q13) (only visible to the 25,337 respondents who answered that they had been recommended to do so by a veterinary clinic on question 8)	I brushed/cleaned before I received the recommendation	9105 (35.9%)
	Yes, I brush/clean still	5124 (20.2%)
	Yes, I started (or tried) to brush/clean but stopped later	6562 (25.9%)
	No	4199 (16.6%)
	Don’t know	380 (1.5%)
When you received the recommendation at the veterinary clinic to brush/clean your dog’s teeth, what was your primary reason for the visit? Several options can be specified (Q11) (only visible to the 25,337 respondents who answered that they had been recommended to do so by a veterinary clinic on question Q8)	Puppy vaccination	4459 (17.6%)
	Other routine visit (e.g. vaccination)	10,803 (42.6%)
	Visit for dental cleaning (calculus removal)/dental problems	6026 (23.8%)
	Visit due to other disease	3192 (12.6%)
	Special information meeting	607 (2.4%)
	Don’t know/Other	3021(11.9%)
When you received the recommendation at the veterinary clinic to brush/clean your dog’s teeth, how did you receive the information? Several options can be specified (Q12) (only visible to the 25,337 respondents who answered that they had been recommended to do so by a veterinary clinic on question Q8)	Verbally	23,663 (93.4%)
	Written	1473 (5.8%)
	Practical demonstration	1761 (7.0%)
	Information about web page or similar	367 (1.4%)
	Don’t know/Other	905 (3.6%)

Dog owners’ experiences of receiving tooth brushing recommendations at a veterinary clinic