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Short answer: Yorkshire Terriers show 2-4x periodontal disease prevalence vs larger breeds per Niemiec 2008 and AVDC 2019, driven by crowded dentition, retained deciduous teeth (Hobson 2005), and reduced alveolar bone density. Yorkies additionally face portosystemic shunt risk per Tobias 2003 - pre-anesthetic bile acid testing is operational reflex before dental cleaning. Mainstream kibble alone produces minimal plaque control per Watson 1994; only VOHC-accepted dental kibbles, daily brushing per AVDS guidelines, and annual professional scaling under anesthesia per AVDC produce measurable outcomes. Our top picks: Wellness CORE (A/90) for high-protein small-breed support, Orijen Original (A/90) for organ-meat-rich nutrition, Acana (B/88) for grain-free regional ingredients, Eukanuba Adult Small Breed (B/75) for AAFCO substantiation, and Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small & Mini (C/61) for WSAVA-aligned mainstream support.

How We Ranked These

Every food on this list was scored using KibbleIQ’s ingredient analysis rubric, which evaluates protein quality, filler content, preservative safety, and ingredient transparency on a 0–100 scale. For Yorkshire Terriers with dental disease, we weighted Niemiec 2008 (Journal of Veterinary Dentistry) on canine periodontal disease prevalence, the AVDC 2019 dental disease prevalence data, Hobson 2005 (JVD) on retained deciduous teeth in toy breeds, Hennet 2007 (JVD) on Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) acceptance standards, Logan 2002 (JVD) on the Hill’s t/d randomized plaque-reduction trial, Watson 1994 (Journal of Small Animal Practice) on kibble-texture vs gingivitis, Marshall 2014 (JAVMA) on dental chew effectiveness, Glickman 2009 (JAVMA) on systemic complications of canine periodontal disease, Tobias 2003 (JAVMA) on portosystemic shunt prevalence in toy breeds, the AVDC standards for professional dental cleaning, and the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee guidelines.

Our ranking weights elevated animal protein (target >28% DM for toy-breed maintenance), kibble size and texture appropriate for toy-breed bite mechanics, named-meat-first ingredient quality, and avoidance of legume-heavy formulations per the FDA 2018–2019 advisory.

Our Top 5 Picks

1. Wellness CORE — A (90/100)
Wellness CORE earns the highest ingredient-rubric score on this list (A/90) thanks to deboned turkey and turkey meal as the top two ingredients. The Small Breed variant is sized for toy-breed bite mechanics, which matters operationally per Watson 1994 - a kibble too large produces swallow-whole feeding with no chewing contact and zero plaque-control benefit.

For Yorkies in stable dental disease management combined with daily brushing and annual professional cleaning, Wellness CORE provides the highest-rubric-quality dietary substrate. Read our full Wellness CORE review → · Shop on Amazon →

2. Orijen Original — A (90/100)
Orijen Original delivers 85% animal ingredients and 38% protein via the WholePrey formulation. The high palatability matters operationally for Yorkies with painful dentition - dogs in active dental discomfort frequently reduce food intake on bland low-palatability kibbles, which compounds the small-breed hypoglycemia risk per Greco 2007 (Veterinary Clinics of North America).

For Yorkies with active dental discomfort awaiting cleaning, Orijen’s palatability is a meaningful operational lever. Read our full Orijen review → · Shop on Amazon →

3. Acana — B (88/100)
Acana is the value-tier sibling of Orijen, delivering 60-65% animal ingredients and 27-31% protein with similar named-meat-first ingredient profiles. The kibble size is appropriate for toy-breed feeding and the lower price point supports sustained chronic-feeding economics.

For Yorkie owners seeking high ingredient-rubric quality at a lower price point than Orijen, Acana is the practical mid-premium choice. Read our full Acana review → · Shop on Amazon →

4. Eukanuba Adult Small Breed — B (75/100)
Eukanuba reformulated in 2024-2025 to a higher-named-meat-first profile, earning a B/75 ingredient-rubric score per our 2026 Session 60.10 verification. The Small Breed variant uses chicken-meal-first protein, dental-aligned kibble size, and includes built-in zinc and copper at chelated bioavailable forms supporting skin and coat. AAFCO feeding-trial substantiation places the brand in the WSAVA Pillar 2 category.

For Yorkie owners seeking the WSAVA-aligned cardiac-conservative grain-inclusive option with reformulated higher-quality protein, Eukanuba Adult Small Breed is a credible mainstream pick. Read our full Eukanuba review → · Shop on Amazon →

5. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small & Mini — C (61/100)
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small & Mini provides AAFCO feeding-trial substantiation, WSAVA Pillar 2 compliance, grain-inclusive cardiac-conservative formulation, and small-breed-appropriate kibble sizing. The recipe avoids legume binders that the FDA 2018-2019 advisory flags. Hill’s also produces the Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d kibble, which has demonstrated 39% plaque reduction in randomized controlled trial per Logan 2002 - if the periodontal disease is at AVDC stage II or worse, ask your veterinarian about transitioning to t/d under prescription.

For Yorkies in mild to moderate dental disease with concurrent brushing and professional cleaning, Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small & Mini is the WSAVA-aligned mainstream maintenance default. Read our full Hill’s Science Diet review → · Shop on Amazon →

What to Look for in Food for a Yorkshire Terrier with Dental Disease

Kibble size matched to toy-breed bite mechanics. Per Watson 1994, kibble that is swallowed whole produces no plaque control. Toy-breed-formulated kibbles are sized at approximately 6-8mm diameter, vs the 10-15mm typical of all-life-stages or large-breed formulas. Read the bag - "small breed" or "toy breed" labeling indicates appropriate kibble sizing for Yorkies.

Pre-anesthetic bile acid testing before dental cleaning. Per Tobias 2003 (JAVMA), Yorkshire Terriers carry elevated portosystemic shunt prevalence. Pre-anesthetic bile acid testing (pre and 2-hour post-prandial) detects most clinical and sub-clinical PSS - a critical screening reflex before any anesthetic procedure including dental cleaning. Discuss bile acid testing with your veterinarian before scheduling dental procedures, particularly in young Yorkies (PSS typically presents at 6 months to 2 years).

VOHC-accepted dental products if dental disease is staged II or worse. Per Hennet 2007 and the VOHC standards, only products with documented randomized controlled trial plaque or calculus reduction earn the VOHC Seal of Acceptance. Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d and Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Dental are the kibble formulations on the VOHC list; Greenies, OraVet, and Virbac C.E.T. chews are common chew options. The VOHC Accepted Products List is maintained at vohc.org and updated quarterly.

Daily toothbrushing is the highest-leverage home intervention. Per the AVDS Home Care Guidelines and Harvey 2015 (JVD), daily toothbrushing with veterinary-formulated enzymatic toothpaste produces approximately 80% plaque reduction relative to no brushing. Use a soft-bristled finger brush; never use human toothpaste (xylitol toxicity).

Annual professional dental cleaning under anesthesia per AVDC. Per the AVDC standards, professional dental cleaning includes pre-anesthetic blood work (plus bile acids in Yorkies), ASA-staged anesthesia with ETT intubation and continuous monitoring, complete dental radiography, ultrasonic scaling above and below the gumline, polishing, and per-tooth charting. Anesthesia-free dental cleaning is explicitly not endorsed by the AVDC.

Watch for hypoglycemia in toy breeds with reduced food intake. Per Greco 2007, toy-breed dogs are prone to symptomatic hypoglycemia when food intake drops, including during active dental discomfort. Symptoms include weakness, ataxia, hypothermia, and (severely) seizures. If your Yorkie is in active dental pain awaiting cleaning, monitor food intake closely and contact your veterinarian if intake drops below 50% baseline for >24 hours.

Bottom Line

Yorkshire Terriers show 2-4x periodontal disease prevalence vs larger breeds per Niemiec 2008 and AVDC 2019. The breed additionally faces portosystemic shunt risk per Tobias 2003 - pre-anesthetic bile acid testing is the operational reflex before dental cleaning. The evidence-based dental management combines a VOHC-accepted dental kibble or chew per Hennet 2007, daily brushing per AVDS guidelines (~80% plaque reduction per Harvey 2015), and annual professional cleaning under anesthesia per AVDC standards. Diet alone does not treat periodontal disease. Our top pick is Wellness CORE for high-protein small-breed support. Orijen Original and Acana are premium alternatives. Eukanuba Adult Small Breed and Hill’s Science Diet Adult Small & Mini are WSAVA-aligned mainstream options. See also our general dental health guide, general Yorkshire Terrier feeding guide, Yorkie sensitive-stomachs guide, and Chihuahua dental guide. For stage II+ disease per AVDC staging, ask your veterinarian about Hill’s Prescription Diet t/d (39% plaque reduction per Logan 2002).

See more: Browse our full Best Dog Food by Condition: 2026 Cluster Index — breed-condition guides organized into clinical clusters (cardiac, oncologic, dermatologic, gastrointestinal, orthopedic, endocrine, metabolic, dental, athletic) anchored on peer-reviewed primary literature.