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By Jean Hofve, DVM February is National Pet Dental Health Month! How much do you know about your cat's dental health? Well, here's a little refresher for you!
The normal adult cat has 30 very sharp, highly specialized teeth. In
the wild, these teeth would perform a variety of tasks such as grooming
(the 6 small incisors at the front of each jaw), grasping and killing
prey (the 4 long canines, also called "fangs"), and crushing and
shearing the meat off the prey's bones to eat (the pointed molars and
premolars along the sides of the jaws, also called "cheek teeth"). 
In the wild, the cat's diet and eating habits keep the teeth clean and
strong. However, the typical diet of a domestic cat – commercial cat
food – does not. Therefore, proper dental care throughout the cat's
life is essential to optimal health. Dental
disease is the #1 most common health problem seen by veterinarians. By
the age of 3, virtually all pet cats (and dogs) have some degree of
dental disease, ranging from a mild accumulation of tartar to severe
infection and tooth loss. Most pets would benefit from an annual dental
exam and cleaning, but it is also important for you to take care of
your pet's teeth at home. Within hours after
cleaning, bacteria start to re-colonize the surface of the teeth. They
secrete substances to attach themselves more firmly, and to protect
themselves from the immune system. The combination of bacteria and
their secretions is called plaque. If plaque is not removed, minerals
in the saliva turn it into calculus, more commonly called tartar,
within just 48 hours. Some of the substances
secreted by the bacteria cause inflammation of the gums (gingiva),
resulting in gingivitis. Untreated, inflammation can progress and even
break down tissues in the mouth, leading to periodontal disease.
Eventually, infection and erosion cause the teeth to decay, abscess or
fracture. All of these processes are painful to the animal. 
While diet does play a role in dental disease, there is also a very
strong genetic component. Some breeds, such as Abyssinians, have a
tendency to develop severe gingivitis, and Persians often have
overcrowded, cavity-prone teeth due to their "smushed" faces. Some pets
may need very little dental care, while others might require full
cleanings under anesthesia once or twice a year.
One myth that is completely false is the notion that "dry food cleans
the teeth." The best that can be said for dry food is that it may
produce slightly less tartar than canned food. Cats eating only
dry food can and do develop the same dental problems as cats who "never
touch the stuff." One study showed that food itself is completely
irrelevant; cats developed tartar even when fed by stomach tube, with
no food passing through the mouth at all! The exceptions are Hill's
t/d® and Friskies Dental Diet®, which have very large kibbles designed
to fracture so that the fragments scrape tartar off the teeth. However,
the major ingredients are poor quality (by-product meal, corn gluten
meal, corn meal or ground yellow corn, cellulose; Friskies even
contains glycerin, a form of sugar – now, how is that good for
teeth?!). Plus, these foods suffer from all the usual problems of dry
food (extreme processing, high carbohydrates, low moisture). Because of
the health risks associated with dry food (such as obesity, diabetes,
allergies, arthritis, FLUTD, and kidney disease), we cannot recommend
them as a regular diet. (See the articles in our library on dry food and teeth, pet food ingredients, and dry versus canned cat food
for more information.) It is a lot easier to keep your pet's teeth
clean yourself than to give insulin shots every 12 hours for the rest
of her life, or to surgically remove stones from his bladder!
Excellent dental health requires help from your veterinarian as well as
a commitment to home care from you. If your pet already has dental
disease, the first step is to have his teeth cleaned under anesthesia
by your veterinarian. While no surgery is risk-free, modern
anesthetics, together with appropriate monitoring and supportive care,
make this a very low risk procedure, even for older animals (who
usually need it the most!). I've done hundreds of dentistries on
elderly cats without a single anesthetic death.
The best way of removing plaque and preventing dental disease at home
is brushing the teeth. Ideally, you should brush your cat's teeth
daily. Brushing removes plaque on the outside of the crown (above-gum
portion) of the tooth, and stimulates the gums to keep them healthy.
However, plaque can still accumulate below the gum line; so an annual
check-up and cleaning, if necessary, is still an essential part of your
pet's dental health. Even if you don't see any problems, it is best to
have your pet's teeth professionally cleaned prior to beginning a
home-care program to make sure there are no painful areas in the mouth
that might jeopardize your success. Your
veterinarian can show you how to brush your cat's teeth, but it may
still turn into a battle at home, which is the last thing you want!
Here are a few tips to get you going: - Buy
a finger brush and toothpaste designed for pets. Do not use a human
brush or even a pet brush on a stick; these can severely injure the
gums without you knowing it (other than by your cat's very negative
reaction!).
- Since most cats love having their
faces rubbed at the corners of the mouth (because of the scent glands
there), gently rubbing there is usually a good place to start. Each
time you do, run your finger a little farther forward along the lips.
- Gradually
extend your rubbing by slipping your finger under the lips and
massaging the gums gently. Take this step slowly and back off
immediately if your cat objects. You don't want to make this an
unpleasant experience, so let the cat dictate how fast you progress.
- Put a little pet toothpaste on your finger when you're rubbing. Most cats love the taste.
- Put
the brush on your finger with a little toothpaste. This will be only
slightly different from what you've been doing and should be tolerated.
If not, remove the brush and go back a step. A piece of damp gauze can
substitute for the toothbrush.
It's best
to brush every day; if you miss a day, it's not a crisis. However, if
you plan to brush every other day, and then miss a session, you've lost
several days that cannot be reclaimed, and plaque will have a good head
start. There are many dental care products
marketed for pets. Oral rinses, gels, and water additives will not
control plaque by themselves. Treats do not contribute to dental
health, even if they are labeled "Tartar Control." No proof of
effectiveness is needed to put such a label on a treat; it's just a
marketing gimmick. The best product I've found
for getting rid of tartar and keeping the teeth and gums healthy is a
treat called C.E.T. Forte Chews.
For cats, they come in poultry and fish flavors; for dogs, they come in
several sizes. They have a fibrous texture and are impregnated with
helpful enzymes that keep the gums healthy. For best results, give one
chew per day. Another product that has gotten
good reports is Wysong's "Denta-Treat". It is a cheese-flavored powder
that you can sprinkle on the pet's food or use as toothpaste.
Most dog chews, including nylon, rubber, rawhide bones, hooves, and
real bones (whether packaged, raw, or cooked), do very little to help
reduce plaque accumulation, and can actually cause a dog's teeth to
fracture; broken teeth are a source of infection and pain to the dog,
and expense to you when they have to be extracted. If a dog swallows a
chunk of any of them, it can cause a life-threatening intestinal
blockage. If you have a ball dog, don't let it chew on tennis balls;
the fuzz rapidly wears teeth down. Thin rawhide strips and pig ears are
acceptable chews and may have some benefit by mechanically abrading off
the tartar, but be aware they add quite a bit of fat to the diet, and
illness caused by contamination of pig ears with dangerous bacteria has
been reported. There are many serious health
risks associated with tooth decay. Bacteria living in these "slums" can
enter the bloodstream and seed infection in critical organs like the
heart, liver, and kidneys. Decayed and abscessed teeth are very painful
and may hinder the animal from taking in enough nourishment, not to
mention deterioration of the pet's quality of life. In my personal
experience, many a cranky old cat has become happy and playful again
after hidden dental problems were corrected.
Proper dental care for your pet is neither easy nor cheap, but it is
truly necessary to maintain optimal health and well-being.
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