Cat Dental Care – Taking Care of Your Cat’s Teeth is Important For His Overall Health

Making sure your cat has healthy teeth and gums is one area where you and your veterinarian must work together. Dental polishings and scalings by your veterinarian are an important part of preventive medicine, and keeping teeth clean between veterinary appointments is something that should be done by all cat owners.
Plaque buildup on teeth causes the gums to recede, and opens pockets at the root line that are havens for bacterial infections. If left unchecked, these infections can lead to tooth loss, making eating painful for your cat, and it will be putting his immune system and internal organs under stress. This in turn leads to illness and premature aging. Rotting teeth in gums can also become a powerful source of bad breath, which some cat owners treat with products that only temporarily take care of the smell, but do nothing about the real problem.
Although some cat owners and groomers scale the plaque themselves, this process will not take care of the problem at the root line. Therefore, regular cleanings by a veterinarian under anesthesia are essential to ensure good dental health.
In between vet cleanings, brushing 2 or 3 times a week with a child’s toothbrush or fingertip brush, and using toothpaste designed for pets, will slow the building of plaque and extend the time between dental scalings.
Brushing your cat’s teeth is not always an easy thing to do, but if your cat will allow it, you can make a big difference in his oral health. Doing this regularly also saves you money by increasing the time between veterinary dental cleanings.
The key to getting a cat used to having his teeth brushed is to do it in small steps at a time. Be patient and encouraging during the process, and make teeth cleaning part of a session of petting, and playing with your cat at the end.