Client question: How often should my cat have his teeth cleaned?

Question:  I clicked on your dental care link and thought it was very educational. At what age should a cat have it's teeth cleaned? And how often? Thanks.

Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital Thanks for a great question! 

Fractured canine tooth with exposure of the nerve and blood supply

 
A cat's dental health is dependent on many things: age, overall health, FeLV/FIV status and breed or hereditary characteristics. Many cats may need a dental cleaning as early as 4 years of age, if we are talking about preventing dental disease. Breeds such as Persians, who have short noses, still have the same number of teeth in their mouths as longer-nosed cats, and develop dental disease more rapidly due to tooth-crowding. Cats that are FeLV or FIV positive or have other diseases that decrease the effectiveness of their immune system may need dental cleanings more frequently because they are more susceptible to the bacteria that build up in the mouth. Cats that are adventurous explorers and fall and break a tooth, or those that chew on hard objects frequently may need more frequent care or emergency care. 

This Abyssinian kitten has all her adult teeth except her upper canines. X-rays show that she has no adult canines! When and if she loses her baby teeth, she will be missing two teeth.

Generally, we recommend that cats come in for a fluoride treatment around the age of 7 months, when all the adult teeth should have erupted. At this time, fluoride can be applied to the teeth (some cats will already have a little tartar buildup, which we will clean!) to strengthen the enamel - this application is most effective at strengthening before 18 months of age. After that, fluoride applications help prevent pain due to exposed dentin in inflamed mouths. We can also check to see if there are any abnormalities - extra teeth, missing teeth, retained baby teeth, teeth out of position, etc. that will cause problems later in life and require more care than the average cat.

This kitten has an upper tooth that is causing injury to his lower gum

We like to examine cats' mouths annually and their wellness exams to decide whether the cat will need a dental cleaning in the near future. Most cats will benefit from annual cleanings, but some cats may need cleanings every 6 months, and others may be able to go 2-3 years between cleanings. We try to balance the aggressiveness of our recommendations for treatment with the cost of treatment - since they require anesthesia for cleanings, we know that it may be daunting to consider the cost of a dental procedure. However, just like human dentists, veterinarians who advocate good oral health care for cats would prefer to perform a "dental prophylaxis" or cleaning, versus performing "dental surgery" and tooth extractions! We are sure that our patients would prefer it, too!

The tooth about your cat's dental health

Fish breath got you down?

February is Pet Dental Health Month! Time to sit back and think about your cat's teeth!

Many people don't like to think about their cat's teeth - they're sharp, pointy reminders that your cat is a natural predator and would love to shower you with gifts of innocent birds and mice, or the occasional frog. We're reminded of their teeth when they love-nip our toes in the middle of the night, or when we get a whiff of fish-breath after dinner. However, the health of your cat's mouth is more critically important that you might realize!

Dental disease is linked to kidney disease, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Regular dental cleanings can often prevent dental disease and the need to extract teeth. It also gives us an opportunity to address other mouth abnormalities - check for cancer, broken teeth, misaligned teeth, etc. Read on to learn more about some of the conditions that can affect your cat's mouth.

If your cat has misaligned teeth, they can poke painfully into the lip, tongue, gums or the roof of the mouth. Additionally, crowded, extra, or missing teeth can cause the same trouble.














Tartar and plaque can build up underneath the gum line and destroy the tooth from below.

 Because most dental disease begins at the root of the tooth, and cat cavities (called "resorptive lesions") start from the inside and work their way to the surface, what appears to be a healthy tooth can actually be a tooth that is in the process of being destroyed.

 Bacteria and white blood cells build up at the base of the tooth and can enter the blood stream or build up a pocket of infection called an abscess, which can cause facial swelling, fever, nosebleeds or sneezing, and poor appetite. Sometimes this can occur even when most of the tooth has fallen out.

 This tooth is filled up with pus (white blood cells and bacteria).

That missing tooth left a big open hole that can fill with bacteria and cause infection. Besides the large blocks of tartar on the upper teeth, there is a large, painful cavity on one of the lower teeth, and a very painful area surrounding the exposed roots of another tooth affected by dental disease.

 This painful condition is "stomatitis" - a severe and extremely painful swelling and inflammation of the mouth. Ouch!











If your cat has never had his teeth cleaned before, you may wonder what happens during a dental cleaning or dental surgery. To find out, you may want to read more about why dental care costs so much in veterinary medicine.

Ask any one of our patients who has had a bad tooth removed! You may not realize it, but while most cats will not stop eating if their mouth is painful, they may play less, sleep more, and lose weight. Many people are simply amazed at the positive change in their cat's attitude and health after their teeth are cleaned. Ask Rowan!

Rowan's New Healthy Teeth

I have been a cat person for over 50 years.  I can see when a cat is hurting.

Rowan is a 10-year-old chocolate-point Himalayan who has been living
with me for some few years now.  All eight pounds of him.  You can
read all about Rowan in the recently published children's storybook
'Missygirl the Calico Cat'.
Roawn shares in Missygirl's adventures!
Rowan was in extreme discomfort.  He was hurting bad.  Rowan's teeth
had never been cleaned and some of them were in pretty bad shape.  If
you have ever had a toothache consider having half a dozen all at once
for months on end. He slept too much, not really interacting. He just
wanted to be left alone.  Rowan had a hard time eating and began
acting grouchy and out of sorts most of the time.

I would have acted sooner had I realized just how bad it really was.
As it is I am glad I got him to you in time for some major dental work
to extract the really bad teeth and to clean those he was able to
keep.  I do believe you saved his life.

Rowan now spends much less time sleeping and much more time seeking
the attention he once spurned completely.   His behavior is remarkably
more mellow and he is a visibly happier cat now that the pain is gone.

I can't thank you guys enough for what you did to help Rowan and I am
sure he is far more grateful than I can ever express in mere words. It
is worth it at any cost to see my little buddy doing the things a cat
should be doing and not suffering.

Thank you again.  Best wishes for a bright future, Neil E. Clement 

Rowan in "full fur"

February is National Pet Dental Health Month!

Annual oral exams are important!

Many people think that as long as their cat is still eating, their dental health is great! Unfortunately, this is not often the case.

 The American Veterinary Dental College (AVDC) has this to say about the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease:

“Unfortunately, other than bad breath, there are few signs of the disease process evident to the owner, and professional dental cleaning and periodontal therapy often comes too late to prevent extensive disease or to save teeth. As a result, periodontal disease is usually under-treated, and may cause multiple problems in the oral cavity and may be associated with damage to internal organs in some patients as they age…. Studies in dogs have shown that periodontal disease is associated with microscopic changes in the heart, liver, and kidneys.”

Resorptive lesion has broken through the tooth from below

In cats and dogs, much dental disease occurs beneath the gum tissue where we can’t see it – so even if your cat’s teeth are pearly white, there may be problems eating away at the tissues that keep your cat’s teeth firmly rooted in their sockets. Most cat “cavities” or resorptive lesions start below the gumline as well, eroding the roots of the teeth first, before they start to affect the crown or visible portion of the tooth. These resorptive lesions are so painful that even while sleeping under anesthesia, cats will react strongly to gentle probing of the affected tooth! In the canine tooth pictured here, a small red defect in the tooth is visible, but if you look at the x-ray pictured below, most of the internal structure of the tooth is destroyed, and the root of the tooth has completely fused with the jaw. This cat had already lost the other lower canine to disease.

Because of this, it is generally a good idea to have your cat’s teethcleaned before visible disease appears. If we can clean the teeth before they are damaged, we can keep the periodontal ligament healthy and strong, and help prevent damage that may cause the loss of your cat’s teeth.

Tooth destruction

In addition to scheduling regular, routine dental cleanings as insurance against oral decay, you can supplement your cat’s diet with oral health diets such as Science Diet Oral Care or Royal Canin Oral Sensitive 30, or any diet that has a larger-sized kibble that cats have to actually crunch on. Most cats that eat regular maintenance diets end up swallowing the majority of their tiny dry kibble whole! The Veterinary Oral Health Council has compiled a list of foods, treats and oral health products that have been scientifically proven to improve oral health in cats and dogs.

Just imagine what your own mouth would feel like if you went for long periods of time without brushing your teeth! According to the AmericanAnimal Hospital Association, dental check-ups should begin when your patient is five months old. At Exclusively Cats Veterinary Hospital, we look in your cat’s mouth at every visit! We recommend a fluoride treatment around 6 months of age, and at that time, your cat gets a full oral exam under anesthesia with dental charting of his or her baseline oral health. We can also make sure that all of your cat’s baby teeth have fallen out and all the adult teeth have erupted appropriately. Just like some humans need orthodontic care because their bite is not correct, some cats have misaligned teeth that can eventually cause sores in the mouth, jaw pain or difficulty eating. Once we have recorded your cat’s baseline oral health, we can then make an individualized recommendation on when next to schedule an oral exam or cleaning. At minimum, your cat’s teeth should be examined once a year.

Greenies treats - available in our office in 5 yummy flavors!

There are many reasons to take an active role in promoting good oral health in your cat. Periodontal disease is a very hard-to-detect infection that can not only cause pain when eating, but causes bone loss in the jaw and tooth loss, as well as heart, liver and kidney disease in the long run.  If such an infection were not hidden inside the mouth, but plainly evident on the bodies of our cats, it would be much more obvious the level of concern this matter should cause. Unfortunately, because our cats are often resistant to having their mouths examined, so oral health tends to be more “out of sight, out of mind”.

If it has been a while since your cat has had his or her teeth examined, celebrate National Pet Dental Health Month by calling your veterinary hospital and scheduling a checkup!