Dental Care

Dental assessments are an important part of our recommended annual exams for cats. Unfortunately, seventy to ninety percent of all cats have some degree of dental disease. This can lead to bad breath, discomfort and loose teeth. But the most significant problems occur when bacteria from the infection in the mouth gets into the bloodstream, creating life threatening illnesses. During your cat’s examination, your cat’s teeth will be assessed as to the degree of dental disease present and an appropriate dental health care regimen will be formulated for your cat.

Educating our clients about preventive dental care is always where we start. Some cats may not need regular cleanings or procedures with proactive home dental care (though most will probably need a professional cleaning at some point). There are also those cats that no matter what you do, they will still need their teeth professionally cleaned on a set schedule because they have a genetic predisposition to dental disease.

Signs of Dental Disease
Since cats are stoic and tend to hide signs of illness, it can be difficult to detect signs of pain caused by dental disease. That is one of the reasons an annual assessment by a veterinarian is so important, but here are some signs to watch for . . .

All cats develop tarter, but like people they vary in the rate it forms. The longer tarter accumulates, the greater the chance it will affect the health of the teeth and gums.

The following photographs represent varing degrees of dental disease and the treatment required to resolve the problems. Obviously, cleaning the teeth early minimimizes the chance of tooth extractions being necessary.

STAGE 1		STAGE 1
Before: mild tarter and early gingivitis		After: healthy gums and teeth
STAGE 2		STAGE 2
Before: plaque and some tarter and early periodontitis		After: one tooth removed due to root involvement
STAGE 3		STAGE 3
Before: moderate tarter and moderate periodontitis		After: only one tooth removed and remaining teeth appear healthy
STAGE 4		STAGE 4
Before: severe tarter and advanced periodontitis		After: removal of all teeth required

Dental Home Care

Cleaning your cat’s teeth is undoubtedly beneficial to his/her health. Since cats need to be sedated to tolerate the instruments needed in professional cleanings, it’s nice to decrease the need for them if you can. Here are some guidelines to help you get the process of brushing your cat’s teeth at home going. Fortunately, it is almost always possible to get cats to adjust to having their teeth cared for, if you approach the project gradually and patiently.

Week One: At about the same time every day (ideally), put the cat up on a surface that is easy for you to handle the cat. Pet the cat and give him/her a morsel of her favorite food, and give praise. Then put her back on the floor.

Week Two: Do week one, but rub her face and gently lift her lips as well. Never push the cat beyond her comfort level - it is important NOT to get bitten.

Week Three: If all is going well, do week two, then offer a small amount of toothpaste on the end of a finger – if we are lucky she will like the flavor enough to lick it off your finger. Then gently, rub her face to move the gel around. If she doesn’t want to taste it, don’t push hard. Continue to gently handle her face a bit more each day, until you can lift her lips and massage the gums by rubbing on her cheeks. Remember to praise and treat the cat!

Week Four or Five: You can continue at this level, but you may want to try introducing a toothbrush now, since you will get more benefit from that. Introducing the brush must be done gradually and gently to avoid frightening or hurting the cat.

To view a video on brushing your cat's teeth >>

The whole process should only take a few minutes each day. If you can’t do daily, then try to do at least 3 times a week. Otherwise, you’ll lose the training effect that has built the cat’s cooperation Also, research shows that treatment must be done frequently to have a measurable benefit.

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