Health: Dental Care


By four weeks of age, kittens have their incisors, the 12 small teeth in the front of the mouth. At six weeks, all 26 deciduous teeth are in.

Kitten teeth should be white and clean, with the upper incisors meeting the lower incisors evenly. The gums and mouth tissue should be pink; a pale color is a sign of anemia.

Between 11 and 30 weeks, kittens lose their deciduous teeth and gain 30 permanent teeth. During this period, a kitten may eat slightly less because of sore gums.

Dry, crunchy foods such as Purina Friskies Dental Diet dry cat food can be helpful in keeping teeth clean. As the pet chews, particles from the dry food scrape against the teeth, acting like a toothbrush to help remove plaque. Still, there is no substitute for regular dental care.

If possible, accustom your kitten to having its teeth cleaned on a regular basis at home. Gently rub the pet's teeth with a soft cloth or a child's soft toothbrush dipped in a solution of baking soda and water. Do not use toothpaste formulated for humans. Because pets swallow rather than spit out the preparation, this can cause stomach upset.

Common warning signs of dental problems in cats include:

	Red, swollen or bleeding gums
	Drooling
	Bad breath
	Loss of appetite
	Dark spots on molars
	Raised sores in mouth

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Cats And Dangerous Greenery
The cat who nibbles household plants may suffer from oral problems not related to periodontal disease. Diffenbachia, or "dumb cane," can cause severe irritation and ulceration to a cat's mouth. The cat may salivate and have trouble swallowing. Prompt veterinary attention is needed. See also the List Of Poisonous Plants.

Oral Hygeine
Inspect your cat's mouth regularly for tartar buildup or gum disease and brush your cat's teeth with the proper brush and toothpaste (made specifically for cats) once or twice a week.

Consult with your veterinarian about the correct home-cleaning process or professional cleaning. Lesions on your cat's gums or foul-smelling breath can be early warning signs of a potential problem. Feeding your cat a dry cat food like Purina Friskies Dental Diet brand can help control and reduce tartar and plaque buildup.

Dental Problems
The most common dental problems pets experience result from plaque and calculus buildup. Food material, bacteria and saliva may accumulate and adhere to the tooth surface, forming a soft plaque. If plaque buildup continues, solutions of chalk-like materials form a hardened dental calculus on the tooth surface.

Calculus is seen more frequently in older pets fed large quantities of soft foods. If left unchecked, plaque and calculus buildup can eventually cause inflammation of both the gums (gingivitis) and the membrane lining of the tooth socket (periodontitis).

Without proper treatment, the teeth may become infected and fall out. The infection resulting from these conditions may spread to other parts of the body such as the kidneys or valves of the heart.

Dental problems may also result from injury, foreign bodies such as porcupine quills or foxtail, malnutrition or systemic diseases which infect the mouth as well as other parts of the body.

Occasionally a kitten will retain some deciduous (baby) teeth after the permanent teeth have appeared. This may damage the soft tissues of the mouth and may even accelerate wear of permanent teeth. A veterinarian should be consulted to determine whether or not removal is necessary.

Warning Signs
Unfortunately, signs of dental problems are often subtle and may go undetected for months, or even years. Regular dental examinations by a veterinarian are recommended. Your cat's yearly physical examination is a good opportunity for a dental checkup.

Dental problems can be minimized or even prevented through regular cleaning and scaling under anesthesia, done by a veterinarian.

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