what do you use for dental hygene?

i have an older kitty and her teeth are really bad, her 2 longer front canine teeth are gone and im pretty sure she's missing some of the small fronts too. when she eats crunchies she doesnt even chew them, just swallows them whole. anyways ive also got a 9 month and was wondering what i can give him so his teeth stay healthy.

Oh - ok, so you do have an older kitty, too.

First off, has the older kitty been getting regular check ups and dental care from the vet? This is important as she already has a problem with her teeth.

For the kitten - the same thing is needed.

Both of them will benefit from getting their teeth brushed with a good pet tooth paste like CET. There are also a few good dental treats that can be used along with brushing such as the CET dental chews (these are actually large enough that a cat must chew them).
There are also some dental rinses/gels and water additives, but I suggest discussing their use with a vet first.

If it's not too late, get the younger cat used to having his/her teeth brushed. It's as important for them as it is for us.

Strange_wings already made a couple of good suggestions. Yes- talk to your vet about options.

You do have to be careful about the ingredients in some of these rinses as they contain alcohol. Some also contain xylitol which is supposed to be toxic for DOGS... I don't know about cats.

I started my fosters on a dental routine - see post:
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=212166

Other dentrifices that were recommended to me are ArkNaturals Breathless Fizzy Plaque Zapper, Wysong's Dentatreat and the line of Biotene products. (Biotene if I recall also makes dental washes etc for humans).

But again - use this info as a springboard to discuss the subject with your vet.

I use feathers--yes, feathers-- for my cats to chew. They are soft enough for even my older kitty, yet the spine of the feather is rigid enough that it helps clean teeth. it's 100% natural and biodegradable.

I use primary feather (from wings) of ducks, geese and even swans when can get them. I've seen reduced tarter on the gumline, and less stuff between teeth--other than the occasional small piece of feather!

I use them because they are inexpensive, and because no one has major teeth problems. This is a solution for everyone but it works for us.

I just stumbled over this thread looking for a good tartar control. Does anyone else have experience with the feathers?

Sounds like a nice "natural" way but I'd be afraid that the cats choke.. or wheeze from the fluff..?