The short answer for a very small mouth
A Yorkshire Terrier's teeth are brushed properly with a brush sized for that tiny mouth, short calm sessions, and attention to the outer surfaces where plaque collects against the cheek. A Yorkie packs a full set of teeth into a jaw you can span with two fingers, so a standard dog brush is clumsy and a soft fingertip brush or infant-sized brush gives you far better control. Angle the bristles where tooth meets gum and use small circles, a few teeth at a time. A complete but gentle two minutes beats a wrestling match that teaches your Yorkie to dread the sight of the brush.
Why Yorkies need dental care more than most breeds
Yorkshire Terriers are famously prone to crowded teeth because their adult teeth arrive in a mouth that barely has room for them. Crowding creates tight contact points where food and plaque lodge out of reach of chewing, and small breeds in general tend to build tartar faster than large dogs whose bigger teeth and stronger chewing action scour surfaces more effectively. Yorkie puppies also sometimes keep baby teeth alongside adult ones, doubling the crowding in that spot. Plaque that sits undisturbed hardens into tartar, and tartar along the gumline is what drives the gum soreness and bad breath small-dog owners notice first. Regular brushing interrupts that chain while the deposit is still soft enough to remove at home.
Setting up before the brush touches a tooth
Choose a moment when your Yorkshire Terrier is already settled, such as after an evening play session rather than first thing in the morning when energy peaks. Let the dog lick a pea-sized amount of dog toothpaste from your finger first; never use human toothpaste, which is not made to be swallowed. Start across several days if your Yorkie is new to this: day one is just lifting the lip and touching teeth with a paste-covered finger, day two adds gentle rubbing along the front teeth, and only then does the brush appear.
The brushing itself, quadrant by quadrant
For a Yorkshire Terrier, brush the outer surfaces first because that is where the cheek presses plaque against the teeth and where most tartar forms, especially on the large upper back tooth. Lift the lip with one thumb, hold the brush at a shallow angle toward the gumline, and make small circular strokes covering two or three teeth at a time. Move around the mouth in a fixed order, for example upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right, so nothing is skipped when the dog wriggles. The inner surfaces matter less in a Yorkie because the tongue constantly sweeps them, and most dogs resist having their mouth held open, so attempt them only if your dog tolerates it calmly. Pause whenever your Yorkie pulls away, let a lick of paste reset the mood, and end while things are still going well even if one quadrant waits until tomorrow.
Signs in a Yorkie's mouth that mean a vet visit
Watch a Yorkshire Terrier's gums while you brush, because the brushing position is the best regular look you will get inside that small mouth. Gums that bleed with the lightest touch, a tooth that looks discolored or loose, a retained baby tooth sitting beside an adult tooth, or breath that has turned sharply foul all deserve a veterinary appointment rather than more vigorous home brushing. A Yorkie who suddenly drops kibble, chews on one side, or paws at the mouth may be telling you something hurts. Home brushing is prevention, not treatment, and a vet can check beneath the gumline where no brush reaches.
Making it a routine the household keeps
Consistency matters more than perfection for a Yorkshire Terrier, since plaque begins hardening within days, so several short brushes a week protect far better than one heroic monthly session. With KinsLe, Care Teams lets you hand the brushing duty to a specific family member for each day and stamps the task complete when it is done, so a Yorkie's dental routine survives busy weeks and changing schedules.