This is a very good topic, because bad teeth can hamper fertility.

Honestly, I would start by giving her a giant shankbone ... and let her clean her own teeth. Nothing like a shankbone to remove tartar IMO. You might also feel the glands around her throat, neck, etc. to see if she has inflamed lymph nodes.

Then, after she gets the tarter off (and she may need to go through 2 bones to do that), she should be okay ... but if you see abscesses in the mouth, then she might need a vet.

Jack

PS: You're right about kibble ruining teeth ... carbs break down into sugar in the saliva, stick to teeth, and ruin them.