Does anyone know of or recommend any products, toys, procedures, etc that will get rid of tartar buildup, whiten dog's teeth and reduce bad breath?  Please inform!

I just got a new corgi who came to me with a LOT of tartar buildup and I've been trying to reduce it and get her teeth to a more gleaming white.  I have a couple of dental tools which I've been sterilizing and then using to scrape off the plaque (she's really good to let me do that), but there are some spots that I just can't get to.  I've also been brushing her teeth every 2-3 days with enzymatic dog tooth paste.  She chews on nylabones too, but not all that often, and doesn't seem to be very interested in other toys.

All of this seems to be helping, but her teeth just aren't up to snuff.  I'd rather not have to send her to the vet for an expensive (and dangerous, as I'm quite sure that most vets put them under for the procedure) teeth cleaning, so I was just wondering if anyone had tried/had good results with any products on the market to help whiten teeth or reduce tartar (e.g. dental washes to add to drinking water, supplements, special dental toys).

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Bootsie just got his teeth cleaned and he had gas, it was 165.00.
My vet recommended the C.E.T. rawhide chews, and my dogs love them. They have also wonderfully cleaned up their teeth!
Once the tartar has developed the only true way to get rid of it is to have a dental procedure with your vet. Tartar turns hard as a rock and has to broken up. It is the same type of procedure when you get your teeth cleaned at the dentist. The procedure is safe as long as you go to a good vet. Both of my dogs have had this procedure done once a year and everytime it has turned out ok. My vet requires a preanesthetic blood panel to be done the day off. If the proper precautions are taken it is a safe. There is no product out there (that I know of) that will break this tartar up. Once the tartar is gone you use those dental chews/toys/ supplements to prevent the tartar from building up again. Hope this helps.
I'm pretty sure dental chews and regular brushings are more of a prevention thing than a treatment, I don't know any options of cleaning the tartar off once it builds up. I work at a vet clinic and our dogs do very well under the anesthesia during their dentals, any vet that doesn't do it under anesthesia is just not going to be able to do a very good job. We always have one person cleaning the teeth and at least one other person monitoring the dog's vital signs and making sure they are asleep enough but not too deep. With an experienced person, they can get a dental done pretty quick and the dog won't have to stay under very long. At our clinic we do require preanesthetic blood work before all surgeries and dentals as a safety precaution which does make it a little more expensive but safer for the dogs.
If she lets you do her teeth with no anesthesia, then a vet might be able to scrape off more tartar than you can without putting her under. I know my vet used to scrape my prior cat's teeth at every visit and would get off any tartar buildup that way. My Corgi Maddie also lets him scrape her teeth.

I am hesitant about general anesthesia unless the teeth are so bad they pose a significant health hazard. Any dog (or any person) faces the small but real risk of death any time they go under. If the teeth are bad enough to cause gum disease, then yes I would consider it. If it's just cosmetic yellowing then I would not worry.

My cat lived to be almost 17 and never once needed her teeth done. That annual scrape was all she ever needed.
yeah, I definitely don't want to have to put her under just for her teeth. Her teeth aren't that bad since I've been brushing and scraping religiously since I got her, but there are some areas where the tartar is too thick for me to get off. I just ordered an oral gel that supposedly softens tartar so that it eventually falls off without a dental procedure, so i'll have to report back on how it works. hopefully i remember to take before and after shots :)
Greenies are really good at keeping you're dog's teeth clean. They do not remove hardened tartar though. Most dogs like them too. A vet will be able to tell whether or not it's to the point of needing a cleaning. Just make sure you get the correct size. I'd say most corgis use the regular, unless they're smaller.
I thought I was the only one who scraped tartar off their dog's teeth at home.
Is my problem area the same for you, the bottom back teeth?
haha, that's funny b/c I thought that I was the only one that sat around scraping off tartar! back teeth/premolars are definitely the worst (bottom premolars are covered by the top ones and almost impossible to scrape tartar off!). Also, I've been seeing a lot of build-up on the upper canines too.
When I first started my older corgi had a lot of brown stuff on her upper canines. I scraped it and the whole crust of brown tarter popped off in one piece like a cap. At first I was horrified that I might have chipped her tooth, then i was horrified that all that tartar was on her teeth. UURGH

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