Tooth brushing and teeth cleaning

Hi!!

I took my two kitties to the vet a few weeks ago and he told me that they should probably have their teeth cleaned soon. Luna is almost 8 and has never had hers done and never been brushed and the vet recommended that I do it early next year. Shermie is 3 1/2 and the vet told me the he'd check him out in his next yearly appointment and he may need teeth cleaning in 2012.

So I have a few questions for you wonderful people on kitty tooth care.
1). Do you brush your cats teeth regularly? If so, do you use a special cat brush or just child's toothbrush? Do they make cat toothpaste? How much is it helping etc.?

2). My mom made a good point and said that her 15yo cat had never had her teeth cleaned and didn't die from it. She did get a cheek abscess but they couldn't determine if it was from her tooth or a mouth injury that got infected. So, Do I REALLY need to spend the $300+ on each of them to get their teeth cleaned professionally?

3). What would teeth cleaning prevent? Would it stop the bad breath? Is it anti-bacterial also or just anti plaque stuff?

4). Are there any other things out there that will help clean their teeth - like food, treats, toys etc?

Thanks!

They do make cat toothpaste and toothbrushes. Basically, the toothbrush is just a little tuft because cats have spaces between their teeth, unlike humans. The toothpaste is malt flavored mostly, but you can find tuna flavored as well.

Petco and petsmart have toothbrush kits with a toothbrush, a finger brush (basically toothbrush bristles on an overgrown thimble), and toothpaste.

I do brush my guys' teeth, and it does work. I can already see an improvement over the last two months from when I brought my older cat home from the shelter.

The professional cleaning will scrape tartar off the teeth, and generally give them a good work up. If the teeth are left to rot, they can develop feline cavities, which make eating very painful and can cause health problems. It is also entirely possible that your mom's cat just had really good teeth. Some cats go their whole lives without a dental (i.e. any cat before the 1990's haha). The cleaning will get rid of lots of the bad breath, especially if there's tartar, because tartar is hardened plaque, which smells atrocious. In normal cats, you shouldn't be able to smell their breath unless they're right up in your face. If you can smell fishy bad breath from a few feet away, teeth need to be cleaned.

Also, does anyone know if this stuff is covered by any type of pet insurance? Thx!

There's is pet tooth paste, not specific cat tooth paste. You have to get the right brands, just walking in and grabbing anything at petco or petsmart will not work.
One of the best brands (I can't remember what the other one is called) is C.E.T. You have to get this one from the vet. They do make a kit with a brush, or you can buy the tooth paste separately. I use poultry flavor C.E.T. for mine. (they also make beef, tuna, and malt)

A lot of dental treats do not work because cats often do not chew. They crunch once and swallow. C.E.T. does make a dental treat that is an odd texture that I can't really describe well, it's large so a cat must chew it.
They also make dental gels, rinses, and water additives - discuss with your vet before trying any of these.
I'm skeptical of dental foods because of how cats eat. I have a couple that will swallow things larger than any dry cat food whole.
Alternately, if you felt comfortable doing it and your cats would eat it, chunks of raw meat (like stew meat) are great at cleaning cats teeth - it's what their teeth are designed for.

The small kit included brushes are the easiest to fit into a cat's mouth, but if neither of your cats are smaller cats with small mouths you can use an extra soft bristled baby tooth brush.

Don't worry about the cats not accepting it. I've taken in adults, including what must be one of the fussiest cats ever, and while I won't say they love it - they tolerate it. You must give treats and lots of praise afterwards, though.

There is something a few people on here use called plaqueoff that changes the mouth ph/bacteria a bit to remove and stop plaque build up. It's made from a type of kelp so it cannot be used in cats with thyroid problems - you'd have to test your older cat (and you should anyways) before using it.


Dental care doesn't just prevent dental issues. Bad teeth can lead to kidney issues in many cats. And just like in people, an untreated infection in a tooth can spread elsewhere and damage other organs - like the heart.

IMO, I think $300 is high, but cost of living in your area is likely much higher than mine is. A cleaning and polish here is $88 + whatever else I choose to have them do, bloodwork, IV fluids, etc.

Pet insurance coverage varies a little between companies, but in general you're given the choice of two types of plans. Basic and a type of "total wellness". The basic one is more for bigger emergencies. The wellness packages will include some dental coverage, cover teeth needing to be removed, sometimes they'll even cover your annual check up (or a percentage of it) and blood work.

I have a 10-year-old cat, and have never had her teeth cleaned professionally (or done it at home). Though I wish I had started with good dental care from when she was a kitten!

A couple years ago, one of her teeth had fallen out and I found it, which alerted me that something was wrong. I brought her to the vet, and they saw that she had a lot of tartar build-up and some tooth decay....they also did blood work to determine if something else was wrong, but thank goodness it wasn't. I was given some prescription pills to give her, to help with the tooth decay and gum problems.

Recently my vet came to our house for a check-up, and he noticed the tooth decay still. He recommended that I bring her into their lab for a cleaning, and to have some teeth pulled that are deteriorating. My only issue with this is that I can't afford it right now, and my cat is terrified of leaving the house (which is why my new vet makes house calls). My vet said that if I don't do the dental work now, then he will keep an eye on it at our next annual check-up to see if it's gotten worse....

In the meantime, I heard about a product and bought it, Tropiclean Fresh Breath. It is a water additive, and is supposed to help prevent tartar build-up and freshen breath. I like it, I have noticed that her breath is fresher, and hopefully it is helping her teeth as well. Has anyone used a product like this before, and what are your experiences with it?