When I finally got my poor old dog his much-delayed dental cleaning, the sedation almost wiped him out, but it did make a surprisingly effective improvement in his breath. "Gingivitis" is for real, both the inflammation and the odor. After that I bought a scaler, and I've been doing my best to keep his teeth clean down to the gum-line, in addition to enzymatic toothpaste. He eats dry food, but he was never a recreational chewer.