Dental Care for Cats

Your kitten loses their deciduous (or ‘baby’) teeth by around 6 months of age and their new adult teeth need to last a lifetime of chewing up their food and catching pom poms and ping pong balls!

But those teeth aren’t going to go the distance if we don’t look after them, so it’s best to establish a Dental Care Routine, just as we do for ourselves, early on in your kitten’s life.

Without adequate dental care they will quickly develop bad breath, unhealthy gums and rotten teeth caused by a disease process called ‘Periodontal Disease’ or ‘PD’. In fact, by 3 years of age 70% of cats suffer from PD. What is Periodontal Disease?

The chances of developing PD are greatly increased in brachycephalic breeds (like persians) due to dental overcrowding and in cats who have retained deciduous teeth. So it’s a good idea to have their teeth checked regularly at The Pet Doctors to ensure these issues are recognised early.

How Do I Prevent Dental Disease?

Your dentist recommends using dental floss and brushing your teeth to slow down the onset of diseases like cavities, gingivitis and tartar. As your vet, we also recommend starting a dental care routine at about 8 to 12 weeks old, so they get used to the routine right from the get-go.

There are many ways to help keep your cat’s teeth in great condition well into their senior years.

Useful Links:

1. Learn How to Care for My Cat’s Teeth at Home

2. Dental Care Products that The Pet Doctors Recommend

When Do I Need To Take My Cat To The Pet Doctors?

Whenever you bring your cat to The Pet Doctors for, say their Annual Check Up & Vaccinations, we check the teeth and gums and discuss any problems with you. Feel free to mention to us if you have any concerns about your cat’s teeth. Between routine check-ups, if you happen to notice your cat has anything out of the ordinary (see ‘Signs of Periodontal Disease’ below) like bad breath, inflamed gums or sore/damaged teeth then you should Book an Appointment with Us.

Signs of Periodontal Disease

Swollen red gums.

Bad Breath

Difficulty eating – often a pet stops eating hard food and will only want soft food

Excessive drooling

Loose teeth

What’s Involved In A Professional Dental Clean?

Periodically we will recommend that your cat has a professional dental clean just like when your own dentist checks, scales and polishes your teeth annually or biannually. The difference is cats won’t sit still for a scale and polish and need to be anaesthetised (General anaesthetic or ‘GA’). The best way to minimise how often your cat needs a GA is to keep their teeth and gums as healthy as you can with a home dental care routine.

If your cat has more advanced dental disease, then we may need to do x-rays and more advanced treatments under anaesthesia. We assess all cats in a consultation before any dentistry, including blood tests to ensure they are OK to be anaesthetised. If you have any questions, that’s a good time to ask us.

If you have any questions about dental care routines or professional dental treatments, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.