Raw Bones vs Dental Chews: Bacteria Reduction 79% vs 54.6%

Key Takeaways

• Raw bones cut bacteria by 79.0 percent, brushing with CET toothpaste came in at 70.3 percent, bully sticks reduced bacteria by 60.2 percent, and VeggieDent chews reduced bacteria by 54.6 percent
• None of these four methods outperformed the others by a meaningful margin, giving owners several valid paths to cleaner teeth
• French Bulldogs face extra dental risk because of their crowded, short-snout jaw structure, making consistent oral care especially important
• Raw bones carry real safety trade-offs, including choking hazards and bacterial contamination, that flat-faced breeds should weigh carefully
• No chew or brushing routine replaces professional veterinary cleanings, which catch problems hiding below the gumline

A small but fascinating study out of Rutgers University-Camden set out to answer a question many dog owners have wondered about: does gnawing on a raw bone actually do more for a dog's mouth than a store-bought dental chew? The answer turned out to be yes, at least by the numbers. Dogs that chewed raw beef marrow bones saw their oral bacteria drop by 79.0 percent, the largest reduction of any method tested in the experiment.

79% Bacteria Drop Uncovered

That figure alone is enough to make Frenchie owners sit up and pay attention, especially since dental health carries extra weight for a breed already prone to some oral challenges. For dog owners hunting for practical, breed-specific advice on things like this, LeSnort covers the everyday questions French Bulldog parents ask, from snout-friendly chew safety to grooming and training tips.

The study did not just look at raw bones in isolation. Researchers also measured toothbrushing, bully sticks, and a popular chew brand called VeggieDent, giving a fuller picture of where each method lands. Every option reduced bacteria to some degree, which is reassuring news, and the size of the raw bone effect stood out enough to spark a closer look at why French Bulldogs, specifically, might benefit or struggle with this approach.

Why Frenchies Face Extra Dental Risk

French Bulldogs carry a dental disadvantage built right into their skulls. Their compact, brachycephalic faces pack a full set of teeth into a much shorter jaw than longer-snouted breeds, which often leads to crowding, overlapping teeth, and tighter spaces where plaque can hide. That crowding makes daily buildup harder to manage and easier to miss during a quick at-home check.

Periodontal disease is already common across the dog population at large, with research showing that over 80 percent of dogs over the age of 3 have some degree of periodontal disease. A short-snouted breed dealing with crowded teeth on top of that baseline risk has even more reason for a proactive dental routine. Left untreated, periodontal disease does not stay confined to the mouth. It has been linked to changes in the heart valves and to increased kidney and liver disease, which means a Frenchie's dental habits connect directly to long-term whole-body health.

How the Study Measured Bacteria

The Rutgers research followed a fairly simple but clever method. Researchers swabbed one side of each dog's mouth before a treatment, applied the treatment, then swabbed the opposite side afterward to avoid any bacteria loss from the first swab itself. Six dogs of varying breeds, sizes, and diets took part, giving the results some real-world variety even though the total sample size was small.

From there, the swabs went through bacterial culturing. Samples were diluted, spread onto growth plates, and incubated for 48 hours before researchers counted the resulting colonies. Comparing pre-treatment and post-treatment colony counts let the team calculate a percentage reduction for each product or chew, which is where the headline figures come from. The sample sizes behind those percentages were modest, ranging from four to seven dogs per treatment, so the numbers point to a promising trend rather than a settled verdict.

Comparing All Four Treatments

Seeing all four methods side by side makes the pattern easier to digest. Here's how each one performed in the study:

• Raw bones: reduced bacteria by 79.0 percent, the top result recorded
• Brushing with CET toothpaste: reduced bacteria by 70.3 percent
• Bully sticks: reduced bacteria by 60.2 percent
• VeggieDent chews: reduced bacteria by 54.6 percent

Despite the spread in these numbers, statistical analysis found no significant difference between any of the four treatments. In plain terms, the study cannot confidently claim raw bones truly beat brushing, bully sticks, or dental chews in a way that would hold up across a larger population of dogs. The data does show clearly that every method tested made a real dent in bacterial load, giving owners flexibility to choose an approach that fits their dog's temperament and their own routine.

Raw Bones: 79.0% Reduction

Raw beef marrow bones topped the chart in this experiment, and researchers pointed to a couple of possible reasons why. Chewing action itself may scrape tartar physically off the tooth surface, while canine saliva is slightly bactericidal against certain bacteria, including E. coli and Streptococcus canis. Combined, those two effects could explain why the raw bone group saw such a strong drop in bacterial colonies.

Brushing: 70.3% Reduction

Brushing with CET enzymatic toothpaste came in a close second. The toothpaste's active ingredients, glucose oxidase and lactoperoxidase, produce hydrogen peroxide, which kills bacteria on contact. Brushing also remains the method most veterinarians recommend as a daily gold standard, largely because it lets an owner reach the same spots every day and track visible changes over time.

Bully Sticks: 60.2% Reduction

Bully sticks, made from dried beef, reduced bacteria by more than half in the study. As a natural chew rather than a purpose-built dental product, this result suggests that the mechanical act of gnawing plays a meaningful role in cleaning teeth even without added antibacterial ingredients. Bully sticks also tend to be softer and more digestible than harder chews, which matters for breeds sensitive to tooth fractures.

VeggieDent Chews: 54.6% Reduction

VeggieDent chews rounded out the results with a solid, though notably lower, reduction. Their active ingredient, chlorhexidine digluconate, works in two stages: it kills bacteria immediately on contact and then lingers on the tooth's surface film to keep suppressing bacterial growth afterward. That lasting effect is worth factoring in, since a lower single-session percentage does not necessarily mean a weaker overall contribution to daily oral care.

Why Chewing Fights Bacteria

The common thread running through the bully stick, raw bone, and chew results is chewing itself. Dental products formulated with active ingredients get a boost from their chemistry, and the physical motion of grinding a chew between the teeth appears to do real work on its own, mechanically dislodging bacteria and buildup from the tooth surface. This is part of why natural chews without any special coating still produced meaningful reductions in the study.

Saliva plays a supporting role too. Beyond its mild bactericidal effect, saliva buffers the mouth's environment and physically rinses the teeth throughout the day, which means increased chewing time can trigger more saliva flow and, in turn, more natural cleansing action. This combination of physical scraping and biological defense likely explains why so many different chew types, despite very different textures and ingredients, all landed in a broadly similar range of effectiveness.

Weighing Raw Bone Risks

A 79 percent bacteria reduction sounds like a clear win, but raw bones come with trade-offs that matter even more for a flat-faced breed like the French Bulldog. Balancing the dental upside against these risks matters before adding raw bones to any Frenchie's routine.

Broken Teeth and Choking Hazards

Bones tough enough to survive extended chewing can also crack a tooth, exposing the nerve inside and often leading to extraction or restorative dental work. Dogs that chew aggressively risk swallowing large pieces that become stuck in the throat or airway, and vets regularly see related injuries ranging from cuts inside the mouth to blocked intestines. Careful bone selection and close supervision matter as a result.

Bacterial Contamination Concerns

Raw bones can also carry bacteria such as Salmonella or E. coli, posing a risk to the dog and to anyone in the household handling the raw product, including children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Proper storage, handling, and cleanup become part of the deal any time raw bones enter the picture, adding a layer of household responsibility beyond the dog's own safety.

Safer Choices for Short Snouts

Given the crowded jaw structure common in French Bulldogs, many veterinary sources caution against very hard chews like antlers, hooves, or dense bones, since these raise the odds of a fractured tooth. Softer, more digestible options tend to fit brachycephalic mouths better while still offering some of the mechanical cleaning benefit chewing provides.

Reasonable alternatives worth considering for a Frenchie's dental routine include:

• Bully sticks, which are fully digestible and were shown in the study to meaningfully reduce bacteria
• VOHC-accepted dental chews, engineered with ridges or shapes designed to scrub multiple angles of the tooth
• Daily brushing with a canine-specific enzymatic toothpaste, which remains one of the most consistent and controllable methods
• Chews specifically sized and textured for smaller or shorter jaws, reducing strain during extended chewing sessions

Choosing softer, breed-appropriate options does not mean giving up on effectiveness. As the study results show, several of these gentler methods came within a reasonably close range of the raw bone results while carrying far less physical risk.

No Chew Replaces Vet Cleanings

Even the best home routine has limits. Chewing, whether on a raw bone, a bully stick, or a dental chew, mainly affects the visible surfaces of the teeth that the chew actually contacts. It cannot remove tartar that has already hardened below the gumline, and it cannot spot a fractured tooth, a hidden infection, or early gum disease the way a professional exam can.

Routine veterinary dental checkups fill that gap by allowing a trained eye, and often dental X-rays, to catch problems long before they become painful or expensive to treat. Home chewing habits work best as a companion to professional cleanings, giving a French Bulldog the best shot at long-term oral health.

Every Method Beats No Care

The clearest takeaway from the Rutgers findings is not which single method wins, but that doing something consistently beats doing nothing at all. Brushing, bully sticks, VeggieDent chews, and raw bones all produced meaningful bacteria reductions, and none proved statistically superior to the others. That gives owners real freedom to pick an approach that matches their dog's chewing style, their own schedule, and their comfort level with the risks involved.

For a French Bulldog, that likely means leaning toward softer, supervised chewing options alongside regular brushing, paired with scheduled veterinary dental visits to catch anything home care might miss. For an easy starting point, focus on French Bulldog dental care that combines gentle daily chewing with regular professional checkups.