Dental care for cats is not something that most cat owners think about. But they should. It is important for you to go to the dentist at least annually for checkups. This is, however, also important for your cat! Good dental health can keep your cat happy and disease-free.
Let's dive right in.
Examining Dental Care for Cats
Whenever your cat goes to the vet, make sure that their oral health is checked and dental care for cats is discussed. And if your cat is acting strangely at all, especially with eating habits, make sure that dental health problems are not a concern.
Kittens, like baby humans, have fewer teeth than adult cats. Each kitten has 26 temporary teeth, which begin to appear at about three weeks of age. An adult cat will have 30 permanent teeth—16 on the top and 14 on the bottom.
A cat usually begins getting his or her permanent teeth when they are three to four months old. Some of these teeth have two roots while others have three.
Common Dental Diseases
When it comes to dental care for cats the most common dental diseases found in cats are resorption lesions and gum disease (gingivitis). Resorption lesions are also known as cervical line lesions or neck lesions and often result in tooth loss.
These lesions are difficult to detect, as they often grow below the gum line. Gum disease is found in over 85% of cats by the age of four.
You can tell if your cat has gum disease by looking for yellow and brown tarter build up along the gum line and over the tooth, red inflamed gums, and chronic bad breath.
More Serious Health Problems
Regular dental care for cats helps to both detect and prevent certain health issues.
Oral disease is often an indication of other more serious health problems. For example, it is common for a cat with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) to have oral health problems.
Dental conditions are also commonly found with feline immunodeficiency virus and feline calicivirus.
Therefore, if your pet does have dental problems, you need to see a vet right away about these conditions to make sure they are not symptoms of a much more serious disease.
Cats can Break Teeth
Dental care for cats might be needed if they accidentally break their teeth. This can be a result of a fall, a fight with another cat or other animal, or biting into something too hard to chew. Usually, the upper canine tooth will be the tooth fractured.
This is the tooth in your cat’s mouth that looks like a large fang. If this is fractured, your cat may or may not be in pain. The first symptom of this kind of a fracture is continuous sneezing.
Dental Care for Cats and All Mammals
Overall, oral health is important in all mammals. Cats are susceptible to a number of dental disease and problems, just like humans. By taking your cat to the vet and asking about oral health and dental care for cats, you can make sure that you are providing the best health care foods and tools for your feline friend.
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