Dental health is as important for your cat as it is for you. Cats have 30 teeth and no way to care for them on their own. Brushing their teeth at home is helpful, but just like you, they will still sometimes require a thorough cleaning or even oral surgery. Normal amounts of bacteria in their mouth lead to soft plaque on the teeth, which eventually hardens to tartar. You may observe tartar as the yellow-brown buildup near your cat’s gum line. What you cannot see is that bacteria also infiltrates under the gumline, where it causes inflammation of the gums and loss of bone at the root of the tooth. This is what we call periodontal disease, which can cause many issues such as bad breath, tooth decay and fracture, and even heart, kidney, and liver disease.

The procedure we use to treat periodontal disease is called a Comprehensive Oral Treatment (COT). This is a very common procedure at BLVD - in fact we perform hundreds of these procedures each year! Most cats will require multiple COTs over the course of their lives to keep their mouth healthy. We recommend brushing your cat’s teeth at home to help prolong the period of time between professional dental cleanings. You can do this by obtaining either a pet toothbrush or a soft-bristled toddler toothbrush, and pet-specific toothpaste (as human toothpaste can contain ingredients that are harmful to pets if swallowed).

Using circular motions, brush the outsides of your cat’s teeth, focusing on the large canines and molars. Brush for 1-2 minutes or as long as your cat will let you. Brushing every day is ideal, but realistically if you are able to brush 1-2 times a week it will still be very helpful to your cat’s oral health. Starting to brush at a young age will accustom your cat to the process. You may need to use treats and positive reinforcement to encourage your cat to accept their teeth being brushed. You can work your way up from touching your cat’s mouth, then lifting their lip, then letting them lick the toothpaste, then brushing their teeth.

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