Dog lovers have a new obsession — the dental health of their pets. And that’s spawning a rapidly expanding industry. Lacey, an 11-year-old Australian cattle dog mix, has a daily routine. After her long walk, she comes home to get her teeth brushed and enjoys a dental bone as a treat. She’s “never really thrilled” about having her teeth brushed, but she’s grown accustomed to the routine, says Bev Levreault, Lacey’s human. And if you think Lacey’s an example of a particularly pampered pet, you’re wrong. Her routine is fast becoming the norm. Levreault, a 61-year-old lifelong dog owner in Williamstown, New York, had never focused much on her pets’ dental care before Lacey. Even with Lacey, the tooth brushing began as a training trick. But the owner of pet products brand Black Cat Dog Designs is now part of a rapidly growing set of pet owners who are focusing their attention on their four-legged friends’ dental health like never before, often spending more on their dogs’ oral care than on their own. Sales of pet oral care products and services reached $5.2 billion in 2017, according to market research firm Packaged Facts. Of the pets, dogs are getting the most attention when it comes to oral care, comprising 85 percent of that market. More than half of U.S. dog owners take care of their pet’s teeth, according to the American Pet Products Association, and they are twice as likely as cat owners to purchase dental care products and services at their veterinarian’s office, a 2017-18 study by the association shows. Dog owners with dental products for their pets, including toothbrushes, dental chews and wipes, rose from 29 percent in 2006 to 43 percent in 2016, according to the APPA. And that’s only going to grow, suggests Tierra Bonaldi, an APPA pet lifestyle expert, as dog ownership shifts to millennials, who research has shown are willing to spend more on their pets’ health than older generations. | 
