Your cat’s dental hygiene is important. Their teeth play a very important role in their life, and neglecting them could run a greater risk of decay, tartar, and other more serious conditions that could even end up resulting in the loss of some of their teeth.
You should brush them frequently and bear their dental health in mind.
In terms of cleaning their teeth, intersperse cleaning at home with cleaning by the vet.
CATS’ TEETH
Kittens are born without teeth, and then 26 milk teeth come out during the first four months. When they lose them they are swapped for permanent teeth, of which there are a total of 30. Your cat will use these teeth to eat for the rest of their life. Nonetheless, it is common to see adult cats who are missing one or several teeth. This is why it is necessary and very important to keep up a constant care routine and to arrange an annual dental check at a veterinary clinic.
GOOD FOOD
To avoid dental disease, give your cat the appropriate food, because this is directly linked to having healthy teeth. Dry food is an excellent product to avoid certain oral diseases, as well as the habitual build-up of tartar and bacteria. It is the consistency of this type of food that means that the chewing itself automatically cleans the teeth. There are even dry foods that have been formulated to prevent these dental pathologies, and others that are rich in sodium phosphates, which help to prevent and slow down the formation of tartar.
To avoid dental disease, the key is to give your cat the appropriate food, because this is directly linked to having healthy teeth.
CLEANING AND CHECK-UPS
Cats, like people, need to have dental cleaning and periodic check-ups. The best thing would be for a cat to get used to this home cleaning from a very young age. To do this, clean their teeth once a week with a specific brush for cats, which has soft bristles and is designed to allow you to reach every individual tooth. In addition you can get cat toothpaste, which has a meat or malt flavour to make it more appealing to them.
Lastly, it will also help if the cat has toys designed for being bitten.
POSSIBLE INFECTIONS
Lack of cleaning causes the build-up of tartar, which is usually deposited at the bottom of the teeth, causing gum inflammation and bad breath. There are two main infections:
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Tartar and gum disease: too much bacteria can inflame the gums – gingivitis – as well as bringing about a change to dental stability.
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Dental fractures, which are cases of minor dental emergencies due to injuries (infections can occur in wounds).