By far the best way to market home dental care products is to explain the savings that may be made in the long run.

Of course, there is no guarantee that dental treatment under general anaesthesia will not be necessary at some point during a cat or dog's life - but preventative measures can dramatically lower the likelihood of this (and the subsequent costs that are often in excess of £100).

The home dental care pack is therefore sure to be appreciated!

• Information on how to brush your pet's teeth. Pre-printed literature is available from CET and Arnolds, both of whom manufacture a range of pet toothbrushes and pastes.
   
• Hills T/D and Oral Care leaflet.
   
• Hills T/D sample. Pre-packaged samples are not available, so why not make your own with small grip-seal bags and customised stickers made on Microsoft Word. Your Hills rep will give you a couple of free bags of food to make up the samples if you ask nicely!
   
• Sample of Logic Oral hygiene gel and instructions for use. These are available free from Sanofi.
   
• Sample of CET toothpaste. Again, these are available free.
   
• List of all the dental care products available from the surgery. Be sure to include photographs and costs. If you do not stock a range of dental care products, ask your practice principle! This is far too good an opportunity for sales to miss. At the very minimum, every practice should have Logic, standard toothbrushes, finger brushes and T/D diet on sale. Other merchandise to consider includes: Pedigree Rasks and Breath Busters, Whiskas Dentibits and Dental Kongs. The Dental Kongs are fantastic for dogs that simply will not tolerate brushing - simply fill the grooves with toothpaste, get playing... and lo and behold - cleaner teeth with minimal effort!