Should a cat's teeth be cleaned?

My vet says one of my cats has some plaque and needs to get his teeth cleaned. Estimated cost is $150 to $200. My problem is this: do cats really need clean teeth? They have been living quite successfully in the wilds for eons without aid of dentistry. I can certainly see giving them dental care if they show signs of having a tooth ache, like hovering around the food dish, eating a little, then moving away, maybe making some noise indicative of pain chewing. But is there really any health danger from not cleaning a cat's teeth? Frankly, I've never brushed my cats' teeth and don't want to. I have enough to do keeping them fed, flea-combed, and giving one his medical treatments for CRF.

Geoff

well, you don't have to brush there teeth, but they probably should have them brushed, both my cats go to the vet once a year to get their teeth cleaned

Well, what I'd like to find out is if there is any evidence anyone can provide that not having a cat's teeth professionally cleaned poses any health hazard. If it does not, I can see no good reason to needlessly put my cat through anesthesia and pay $150-200 for the procedure.

My cat was to have his teeth cleaned in dec-stuff happens and had to put it off-then 3 weeks ago he had this horrible looking sore-it was start of a infected abcess. so if I would have payed 400 for the dental i wouldnt have had to pay for 2 more office visits(no moneys not everything but its one way to look at the possibility). He had to have a tooth pulled due to the roots losing grip from the swelling. Some stuff no amount of brushing will remove(like below the gum line) also cats in wild would be eating a totaly different diet(raw mice with thier bones and that sorta thing). RJ

My vet quoted me $300 for a cleaning, so I opted to use an enzyme dental gel called Logic, and it appears to be working very well in keeping plaque from building up on Ginger's teeth.

I don't agree that cat owners need to pay hundreds of dollars a year for cat dental treatments, but do think that it should at least be done once every few years, just to kjeep your cat as healthy as possible. Just like humans, the condition of your cat's teeth and gums can and will have an effect of their overall general health.

where do you get logic from-the vet or petstore? never heard/seen this TY RJ

Originally Posted by ryanjay

where do you get logic from-the vet or petstore? never heard/seen this TY RJ

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It's only sold in the UK - just do a web search for Logic Oral Hygiene Gel. I bought it through a UK website, and it cost $12 shipped. Ginger loves the taste of it, too!

Yes a cat's teeth should be cleaned, it's part of helping them live longer and healthier lives. Bacteria from bad teeth can enter the cat's blood stream and affect vital organs like the kidneys, liver and etc, and cause the cat to develop problems that might end up being a lot more costly than simply having the cat's teeth cleaned.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dise...dentalcare.htm

http://cats.about.com/gi/dynamic/off...rticleid%3D369



Here are two links about it. Realistically, it is better (and less expensive in the long run) to prevent painful dental disease and possible organ problems caused by bacteria getting into the cat's bloodstream by having the teeth cleaned.

Originally Posted by Feline_friend

My vet says one of my cats has some plaque and needs to get his teeth cleaned. Estimated cost is $150 to $200. My problem is this: do cats really need clean teeth? They have been living quite successfully in the wilds for eons without aid of dentistry. I can certainly see giving them dental care if they show signs of having a tooth ache, like hovering around the food dish, eating a little, then moving away, maybe making some noise indicative of pain chewing. But is there really any health danger from not cleaning a cat's teeth? Frankly, I've never brushed my cats' teeth and don't want to. I have enough to do keeping them fed, flea-combed, and giving one his medical treatments for CRF.

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A mouth full of toxins is really a danger as Lorie D mentioned. Every time the cat swallows the toxic waste material from bacteria enter his bloodstream, and course through his body. Heart valves are particularly sensitive to these bacteria- every been required to take antibiotics before having dental work yourself? This is why.
And in order to clean things up the liver and kidneys have to filter out the toxins, and this causes them to do work of a very difficult nature. And a cat such as your own with CRF doesn not need unnecessary strains put on his kidneys. In fact he would need more attention directed towards keeping his mouth free of plaque IMO.

Wild animals don't need dental cleanings as they are daily crunching up bones which naturally clean teeth. You can do the same thing by providing a raw diet but it is not done without sufficient research and work and is clearly not for everyone.
A huge percentage of dental health is related to diet- the wild animal diet is better in this regard, that's all. But they have other problems- the wild way is not necessarily the best way. They are full of parasites and yet nobody is recommending that we treat housepets similarly.

So yes, valued housepets do need regular dental work done. It really will help them maintain their health and extend their lives.

Cats can be in a lot of pain due to poor teeth without showing it or stopping eating. They do need to have their teeth cleaned. The more you can clean them, the less likely they are to need treatment under anaesthetic when they're older. My 9 yr old recently had his teeth cleaned under anaesthetic (for the first time) and had to have 2 out (couldn't tell he needed extractions until they had him under anaesthetic). Gum disease can cause a lot of health problems. I wish I'd made more effort to clean Jaffa's when he was younger. I now use logic gel. Once a week I actually brush them with a toothbrush (not too difficult if I can catch him before he sees me coming and hides under the bed) and the rest of the time I either rub it on his gums or just let him lick it from the tube.

Wild cats crunch bones which are great at cleaning the teeth.

Originally Posted by Feline_friend

Well, what I'd like to find out is if there is any evidence anyone can provide that not having a cat's teeth professionally cleaned poses any health hazard. If it does not, I can see no good reason to needlessly put my cat through anesthesia and pay $150-200 for the procedure.

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I am not trying to sound rude here(although I may). I have evidence to prove that a cat's teeth should be professionally cleaned. Here it is.

That is my Twitch after having surgery to have all of her teeth removed. I have her teeth in a jar & I can take pictures of them(if I can find them) if that helps any. They actually look horribly gross. Albiet, the vet says she probably would have had them removed at some point in her life. The vet believes that if it had been reccomended that Twitch have her teeth cleaned when the plaque build-up first started that she could have kept her teeth until she was 5-7 or more years old(the vet I was seeing at the time didn't reccomend it).

IMO, (I don't have any fact to base this on, so I guess it's an IMO thing), the plaque will continue to build-up, layer upon layer. If you could have seen how much it hurt Twitch to eat, she barely touched her food & lost so much weight. It still makes me cry to think about the condition she was in. As far as I am concerned, it is my fault Twitch doesn't have teeth. If I had gotten a second opinion & had her teeth cleaned, she would still have them today. She turns 4 this summer.

I risked Twitch getting fatty liver disease from not eating by not having her teeth cleaned. She was on antibiotics for weeks before the vet felt she was healthy enough to have the surgery. To this day, it has affected Twitch. She still sleeps funny as though to protect her mouth. It must've hurt her so much. Twitch is more at risk for mouth ulcers. Even w/o teeth, I still brush her gums with a soft bristle finger toothbrush & toothpaste because I think it does help prevent gum disease. Besides that, it keeps her from teething so bad(she is constantly teething).

We've had our last 2 cats under anaesthesia to have their teeth cleaned as they've both been older cats when we've gotten them. I think it's well worth it in the long run.

If you get it done once, and give them food that's good for their teeth, and raw bones, it should be a fairly long time before it needs doing again!

Like Cearbhaill said - wild cats get diets where they crunch lots of bones which cleans their teeth. They also don't live as long as domestic cats. They die from things like rotten teeth that cause cysts and kill them...

Originally Posted by Feline_friend

My vet says one of my cats has some plaque and needs to get his teeth cleaned. Estimated cost is $150 to $200. My problem is this: do cats really need clean teeth? They have been living quite successfully in the wilds for eons without aid of dentistry. I can certainly see giving them dental care if they show signs of having a tooth ache, like hovering around the food dish, eating a little, then moving away, maybe making some noise indicative of pain chewing. But is there really any health danger from not cleaning a cat's teeth? Frankly, I've never brushed my cats' teeth and don't want to. I have enough to do keeping them fed, flea-combed, and giving one his medical treatments for CRF.

Geoff

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PJ is 12 and has the world's most gorgeous teeth. She has never had a cleaning with us (we've only had her 3 years). I don't know how, but she has amazing teeth. Of course, that means our other cat needs cleanings!

Teddy had some plaque, and most of all, he SMELLED before his dental. He has some decay, and will eventually need some teeth removed, I'm sure (he was very poorly cared for before we adopted him). I hesitated a bit, not knowing anything about dentals for cats... but I did it anyway. It was about $200 for everything (including his senior panel, he's 9), and I'm glad I did. Unless PJ needs it, I won't do a cleaning for her, but Teddy will definitely have more cleanings. It's an individual decision; but I know Teddy will suffer in the future because his plaque and problems were never cared for until I got him.

Originally Posted by shambelle

PJ is 12 and has the world's most gorgeous teeth. She has never had a cleaning with us (we've only had her 3 years). I don't know how, but she has amazing teeth.

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Yes shambelle- it's very interesting why the conditions in some mouths develop a lot of plaque and others do not. It's probably rooted in genetics just like people, but understanding the actual chemistry/pH/whatever is something that is being worked on.

Several of my grooming clients have been using a product from Leba Labs that allegedly changes the chemistry in the mouth enough to inhibit plaque formation.
It is a simple spray used orally. It has not been around long enough for me to have personally seen any results so I cannot vouch for it, but you'd think something like this would be possible. Until then, dentals it is.

Originally Posted by Feline_friend

They have been living quite successfully in the wilds for eons without aid of dentistry.

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Humans also lived eons without the aid of dentistry. We do it for ourselves now and why? To keep ourselves healthy so that we can (hopefully) live to a ripe old age. We do it to prevent disease and if we let it get out of hand, we get sick and have more significant issues to deal with.

Just my thoughts.....

I understand your concern. It is expensive to have a cat's teeth cleaned and it's also stressful for the cat. But it is important. Spotty has a dental cleaning appointment Monday July 3rd at 8 am. This is how I go about it.

I don't brush my cats teeth. They won't let me and I'm not going to force a toothbrush and toothpaste into their mouth. I'm not going to fight with my cats. But I take my cats to the vet regularly for check ups, once a year. I let the vet tell me when I need to get my cats teeth cleaned and how urgent it is. Mild tarter is not reason enough to get an ultrasonic dental cleaning. Moderate tarter is more like, soon you will have to get your cat's teeth cleaned, schedule a dental cleaning at your convenience, Severe is "You need to get your cat's teeth cleaned NOW!" I wait until the tarter in my cats teeth and gums only slightly passes the moderate stage, between moderate and severe, then I make an appointment. The rate upon which tarter builds on a cat's teeth is largely genetic. Rosie has not needed a dental cleaning once in the 3 years that I've had her. Spotty has had one and now is getting his second dental cleaning within the 3 years I've had him, so he probably needs a dental cleaning every 2 years. The fur, skin and raw flesh and bone of natural prey is nature's toothbrush so cats naturally clean their teeth in the wild. Commercial cat food doesn't do anything for the teeth unless you're feeding a prescription dental diet. Those occasional dental cleanings whether you can do it every 2 years or every 5 years(depending on your cat's genetic tendency to build tarter) keep your cat's mouth healthy and control bacteria which can affect the rest of the cat if it enters the cat's bloodstream. Besides cats are pretty good at masking their pain and won't show their discomfort if they can avoid it. It's a survival of the fittest instinct.

Some thoughtful responses. I wonder about this because some people I've known who seem to really love cats, as I do, never worry about their teeth. I think humans get their teeth cleaned because we eat so much crappy food -- lots of sweets, mainly. We also want to look good and not smell bad. Cats don't eat the way they do in nature -- they don't get bones and gristle -- but they at least don't eat the sweets humans do. And, of course, they don't need to worry about their smiles showing something less than pearly whites. :-) So the parallel with humans doesn't work for me. We get our teeth cleaned to prevent tooth decay, and most of us, by the time we're fifty, if we'd never had our teeth cleaned, would be virtually toothless. Not so, apparently, with cats.

I have two cats, Cloud & Salem, 10 and 9, respectively. Cloud has CRF, Salem is healthy. I did get Cloud's teeth cleaned professionally about five years ago. I remember they said it would cost $100 and it ended up costing $200. I ended up feeling ripped off, and wondered whether it was just a stupid waste of time and money. Lately the vet said Salem has a lot of plaque build up and should have his teeth cleaned. She said it would cost $150 - $200, but, given the prices folks here are citing, that probably means closer to $300. I just don't have a lot of money, and so that makes this a big issue. I suppose there is no way to get any objective information on this. I was hoping for some kind of veterinary study, where maybe they took two groups of cats, one that have never had their teeth cleaned, and the other that has, and see if there are any differences in health and longevity over a long period of time. It's true that a cat could be in pain and not show it, but then, on the other hand, Salem is already the equivalent of 52 human years old and he's never had his teeth cleaned. How many humans could go to 52 years of age and eat every meal normally, i.e., with no evidence of a tooth ache? and still have all their teeth? Now, he may have had tooth aches and I just don't know about them. But getting his teeth cleaned tomorrow won't change that. He could still get a tooth ache in a year and I wouldn't necessarily know about it. I suppose I should just look into a health insurance policy for my cats -- or, for Salem anyway, so teeth cleaning is affordable. In the meantime I'll continue researching the issue.

Cats, when not provided with regular good oral health care, are much higher at risk for developing periodontal disease. The amount of plaque on the teeth is not an indicator of periodontal disease in many cats. More importantly to the diagnosis of periodontal disease is infection and inflammation in the gums. That is why regular cleanings are imperative to reduce the risk of developing periodontal disease.

A range of diseases (bacterial endocarditis, glomerulo nephritis, polyarthritis, polyvasculitis, leukopenia) have been shown to be associated with the persistent toxic and microbial challenge of periodontal disease. Some veterinary professionals acknowledge the association of periodontal disease with organ dysfunction in geriatric animals but, appear to disregard the early consequences in juveniles. Based on my own experiences both in caring for cats over a lifetime and closely observing the clinical practice around their health care, it is my belief that periodontal organisms exert a profound and continuing influence on the overall good health and longevity of cats from the time of deciduous tooth eruption. Taking a cat in for regular cleanings, starting when they are young, is the best way to prevent periodontal disease and the life-threatening secondary health issues that arise with it.

Gayef, you sound knowledgeable about this matter. Are you a DVM or vet tech? I'm just wondering where you came by this information. I don't mean to be temerarious, it's just that I distrust doctors. It's not that I think all DVMs are just out to make a buck and only make a buck. But I do believe they are subject to self-deception like everyone else, especially where it might lead to higher income. Case in point: the very common practice of over vaccination. I believe this is simply a "cash-cow" for veterinarians, and most if not all instances of "booster" vaccinations (those following the cat's first vaccine) are not going to increase the cat's longevity, but decrease it. As you may know, vaccinations have been linked to immunological problems. More info may be found on the web, or in Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats.