Do cats need teeth brushed? Are dental treats and dry food enough?

It is a common misconception that dry food is better for teeth than wet foods. Once a cat takes a bite of the kibble and crunches it, there is no advantage in mechanically or abrasively cleaning the teeth. Exceptions come into play with certain prescription diets, such as Hill’s t/d, which have been proven to mechanically clean the teeth. The Veterinary Oral Health Council (www.vohc.org) rates the variety of dental diets and treats on the market with respect to their efficacy in controlling plaque and/or tartar. At the end of the day, daily tooth brushing is the best preventative measure for keeping a cat’s teeth healthy.

Brushing is the best way to keep periodontal disease at bay - far better than any dental treat. But, if you want to give a treat as a reward after brushing I would think a dental treat would be most appropriate. Cats do not get cavities, so leaving food residue behind for bacteria is not quite as big of a deal in cats as it is for people. It's most important to physically brush the bacteria and biofilm plaque away from the gumline.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! You are my hero for trying to brush Nala's teeth. If you haven't tried to start with the left side first, do that. Yes, at least getting the enzyme tooth paste on the teeth will do something. The brushing does help the most. Try to brush at least 3 times per week. They also make a tooth brush that fits on your finger tip, that may work better for her. Also check out the link for the Veterinary Oral Health Council's recommended products. Otherwise just keep trying! Practice makes perfect and also hopefully Nala will acclimate. She may still be sensitive on the one side from the cleaning. I hope this helps and I wish you and Nala the best! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3497 http://www.vohc.org/accepted_products_cats.html

Cats are individuals just like people. Some have naturally better teeth than others. One thing to note, all cats will benefit from teeth brushing. Teeth brushing is proven to help maintain oral health. Here is a link with comprehensive information about oral health in cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/a-comprehensive-dental-care-program-for-your-cat/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It’s true that toothpaste for both cats and dogs isn’t necessary because you can remove soft plaque just by the friction of the brush. However, the toothpaste does help a little bit because it has enzymes in it to help break tartar, plus the flavor of the toothpaste encourages pets to cooperate with the tooth brushing to begin with. Cat plaque is the same as dog plaque. I hope his helps! Take care.

Yes this would work just be careful not to get bitten! There are other alternatives too that you can try to help with oral hygiene if tooth brushing is proving to be a problem. You can get a seaweed extract to add to the food daily called plaque off. There is also aquadent which is a bit like a mouth wash that you add to their water for them to drink. My favourite option is hills TD food as this has both a mechanical and chemical action to break down the calculi and improve oral hygiene and hopefully prevent dental work.

Given the symptoms described, gum inflammation ([gingivitis](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/gingivitis-and-stomatitis)) or other [dental disease](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/dental-disease-1/) may be the underlying cause(s). Both are very common in cats and may cause pain, especially when eating hard/dry food. Any[ treatment](https://www.petcoach.co/article/4-ways-to-treat-dental-disease-in-pets) will depend on the diagnosis but may include a [dental cleaning](https://www.petcoach.co/article/your-pets-dental-cleaning-what-to-expect), extractions, antibiotics, pain management and brushing her teeth at home. Consider a second opinion with a veterinary dentist if necessary. A dental cleaning and extractions (if necessary) will likely resolve the issue. To treat severe gingivitis, the last resort is total teeth extraction, which solves the problem for most cats. [Cats can eat without teeth](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-things-every-cat-owner-should-know-about-dental-care/) and the appetite may actually increase due to there being no more pain. If your cat eats wet food without any problem, I would probably advise to just keep her on wet food as a full mouth extraction is a major surgical procedure.