Simply put, our Protektin42™ formula consists of 4, 100% human-grade ingredients: a soluble fiber, a vegan protein, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and a vitamin. All are in fine powder form, are Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA for use in food, and have been tested for safety for over 40 years in both humans and animals. Bonus, they dissolve rapidly in water, too.

Not good enough? We truly value ingredient transparency and understand if you have a deeper level of curiosity. However, in this competitive online landscape we would prefer that you inquire with us directly for more detail. Please contact us at info@teefhealth.com.

No, we do not have certification and will not be pursuing certification in the foreseeable future.

Listed below are the rationale for not pursuing VOHC certification on our current products:

 

1. INCORRECT INDICATORS: We respect what the VOHC has done for testing and certifying products that effectively tackle tartar and plaque buildup supragingival or on the surface of teeth. The VOHC has yet to address product performance requirements for gum disease. The true driver of gum disease is inflammation caused by dysbiosis – a high relative abundance of pathogenic oral bacteria and under-representation of beneficial bacteria in the subgingival pockets, which mediates epithelial cell invasion, drives Th17 immune responses and neutrophil accumulation in the diseased tissue, leading to gingivitis and periodontitis. Since VOHC currently only looks at whether a product is effective at fighting tooth plaque and tartar buildup, which has been shown to be a false indicator of gum disease in dental medicine, it is unlikely that our current products will have VOHC approval in the near future. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30198138/)

 

2. PRODUCT SAFETY: VOHC does not test or certify for product safety. There are a number of products on the list of certified approved dental products that contain toxic chemicals or ingredients that can be very harmful to pets when consumed on a regular basis. Our product comprises 100% GRAS ingredients (generally recognized as safe by the FDA) with safety testing in canine. It is therefore felt that FDA safety designation on these ingredients and cGMP manufacturing of the products are more relevant for demonstrating product safety.

 

3. ANIMAL WELFARE: The recommended VOHC study design to demonstrate plaque and tartar efficacy requires animals to undergo several rounds of anesthesia in a short period of time (8-12 weeks) for dental cleanings and clinical scoring timepoints. This poses an “ethical” dilemma, as we do not want to put dogs through such a vigorous study to gain approval for something we feel is unrelated to what the product’s target mechanism of action is.

 

3rd party validation of our technology includes clinical studies with several DVMs, AnimalBiome, and larger multicenter international studies planned in 2021. The animal product line has been optimized from the company’s human dental program, which has been successfully validated in NIH-funded clinical studies in collaboration with respected academic dental medicine groups.

 

There is a new way of thinking in dental care and leading experts have found that it is more about “who lives in the mouth and what they do” and we intend to be at the forefront of this new understanding.

The vitamin in our Protektin42™ formula turns yellow when it comes in contact with water. But don’t worry, there’s no harm in the color change and the small amount won’t affect the flavor of the water. Your pup shouldn’t notice anything.

NOTE: Keep our powder clear of clothes and other absorbent materials to avoid staining.

Most dogs on a raw diet don’t drink much water. We recommend using the more concentrated dosage (1 scoop in 1-3 cups of water) so that when your pup DOES drink water, they get a higher amount of Protektin42™ with each drink.

Absolutely! However, because cats have very different diets than dogs, our formula for dogs won’t be as effective on them. Our R&D team is working on a feline-specific formula and will be released at a later date.

Interested in helping us with our R&D for cats? We will send you a swab kit to collect a sample from your furry friend. It’s minimally intrusive, you’ll just need to swab their tongue and gums to collect their oral biofilm and send it into our lab for bio-hacking (pre-paid postage). Please send us an email with your address – research@teefhealth.com.

You bet! We’re treating the bacteria in your dog’s mouth, not your dog. That’s the science behind TEEF! Our ingredients dissolve rapidly and disperse evenly in the water dish, no matter the amount. The key to success is frequent dosing throughout the day. That way our ingredients wash over the bacteria often to balance the oral environment and make it less acidic and destructive to dental health.

We pride ourselves on using only human-grade, 100% pure ingredients – no fillers, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, chemicals or other weird ingredients that cause “dog-arrhea”.

Here’s a trick you can do to maximize your supply of TEEF!

Since daily maintenance = one leveled-off scoop in up to 8 cups of water, we recommend making a batch/pitcher and keep it in the refrigerator to use for topping off water dishes throughout the house. Try not to keep the pitcher for more than a few days though. Fresh, filtered water is always ideal.

.5 gallon (8 cups) = 1 scoop; 1 gallon (16 cups) = 2 scoops… and so on according to volume.

For severe dental disease & bad breath (and raw diets): Add one scoop in up to 4 cups of fresh water each day.

For daily maintenance & bad breath: Add one scoop in up to 8 cups of fresh water each day.

Multiple dog home? Fill a 1/2 gallon (1 scoop) or gallon (2 scoops) pitcher with water, keep it in the refrigerator to top off water dishes throughout the house.

USE DAILY FOR BEST RESULTS

Our dosing is unique because our product does not dose the dog, but rather the bacteria in your dog’s mouth. That’s why not a lot of powder is needed, regardless of your dog’s size. The consistent drinking throughout the day to coat the mouth (and the bacteria in it) is the key to success with TEEF! and what helps it treat the problem below the gumline.

Lost the spoon? Email us at info@teefhealth.com for another or simply add a pinch to their water dish!

Yes, TEEF! is safe for puppies. However, due to their somewhat sensitive puppy GI tracts, the tiny amount of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) may cause minor regurgitation in the first several drinks as they get used to it. It’s not harmful, it’s just their bellies reacting to the faint bubbles.

You can certainly try that, however, we can’t guarantee that it will be as effective. Dogs normally eat 1-2 times per day (and throw it down pretty fast), however the key to success with TEEF! is frequent dosing throughout the day. That way our ingredients coat the mouth often to consistently balance the oral environment (microbiome) and make it less acidic and destructive to dental health.

Suggestion – Does your dog like ice cubes? You can try making some TEEF! ice cubes and see if your pup enjoys it that way. Make sure they keep the ice cube on a hard surface though, the vitamin in our formula can potentially cause staining.

Although it’s rare that pups drink less water when TEEF! is added, it’s very important to keep them hydrated. We recommend scaling back on the amount you’re adding to water and observing if there’s still any avoidance.

If your pup still won’t drink their water, please contact us, info@teefhealth.com. We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee in the case that your pup refuses to drink their water with our product in it.

Some pups with more sensitive GI tracts will have softer poos as a result of the soluble fiber in our product. This isn’t a harmful reaction, it’s just that, well… fiber makes you poop. You can try scaling back on the dose to keep this from happening. If it continues, please contact us directly at info@teefhealth.com, as we have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Our water additive consists of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredients that have been tested for safety on humans and animals for over 40 years. Our initial formulations were intended for human consumption. We even have some humans that are adding it to their own drinking water!

Interested in TEEF! for yourself but in mint form? Check out dailydentalcares.com to order. Same technology (slightly different formula), but for you! Use promo code DDC4ME15 for 15% off.

Our patented prebiotic formula, Protektin42, packs a quadruple-action punch to the bacteria in the mouth to balance the oral microbiome. This balance promotes strong teeth, healthy gums and fresh breath. It’s unlike anything else available in the market!

The soluble fiber works to block the bacteria from consuming dietary sugar so they can’t convert it into acid and plaque. The vitamin enables health-promoting bacteria to eat protein instead of sugar, resulting in healthier (meaning less acidic and inflammatory) by-products. The sodium bicarbonate neutralizes saliva acidity, which results in a less destructive environment in the mouth. And, finally, the amino acid functions as a plaque disruptor that helps remove the existing dental biofilm (plaque and tartar) from teeth for stronger, whiter teeth. The best part? This shift or balance of the oral microbiome results in MUCH BETTER BREATH!

You’ll first notice an improvement in breath. It won’t smell like roses, it will smell like nothing at all!

Keep an eye on the whiteness of your pup’s teeth. We tell people to keep an eye on the back molars since this is where the most tartar builds up. You might notice that some of the tartar will actually come off.

Take a look at the color of the gums. Our product is unique in that it even targets the bacteria below the gumline where most dental disease exists (and 60% of the tooth), which can result in pinker, healthier gums.

Our studies have shown a significant reduction in enteric (poop-associated) bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and other nasty germs.

Would you like to see a technical summary of our studies and data? Ask for a technical summary info@teefhealth.com and geek-out!

Our co-founder and inventor is a super-geeky-smarty that earned her PhD in microbiology at University of California at Berkeley and then completed her fellowship in Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University. Her exceptional understanding of microbes and their impact on human and animal health helped her discover how to steer their behaviors using simple nutrients.

“Bacteria are the most primal, essential organisms on Earth. Their collective power often goes unnoticed and they contribute significantly to health and wellness or the alternative. Our goal is to build products that empower these primal organisms to work for our benefit.” – Emily Stein, PhD, Co-founder & Inventor

The amount of sodium bicarbonate in a scoop of TEEF!’s Protektin42™ is approx. 3mg, which, if the entire 8 cup water dish was consumed each day would be an extra 3mg of sodium in the dog’s diet, so it is very unlikely to negatively impact your dog.

In determining total sodium per day for your dog: drinking tap water contributes ~10% of daily sodium intake. Hill’s Ideal Balance dog food (chicken) has 66 mg/100kCal of sodium. Adding up total dietary sodium intake means that the amount of additional sodium added by TEEF! turns out to be ~2-3% additional sodium to the dog’s diet per day.

We discovered our tartar-removal effect in our studies, which validated that we are on to tackling the root cause of dental disease symptoms. We do have tartar case studies that show TEEF! can significantly reduce existing tartar. Though, we don’t specifically focus on tartar because it is not directly related to gum disease. It is only correlated due to it being an effect of oral dysbiosis – a microbial imbalance. We are focused on stopping dysbiosis, which is the root cause for dental disease. We know our technology inhibits destructive plaque production and grows beneficial plaque (yes, there’s such a thing), therefore we are performing a new line of studies focused on our discovery to better understand the underlying mechanisms.

Yes! Our Protektin42™ formula contains 4 Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) ingredients by the FDA and have been tested for safety in pregnant humans and animals for over 40 years.