Tartar on cat teeth

[BettinaT]

A little background on my now 11-year-old cat. When he was 3 years old, he developed bad teeth, a lot of plaque and red gums and his breath was like fermented. I went to a dental vet specialist and my cat was put under anesthesia and had a dental x-ray. A large molar was removed. It was bad, as it turned out my cat had an odontoclastic resorptive lesion.

I went for a check-up 2 times after that, one of the times he had to have his teeth cleaned again.
And the last time it was fine, and the vet said I should just keep an eye out and book an appointment again when I thought he needed to have his teeth cleaned again.



I haven't had a check-up with my cat since then with the teeth, and I've been very challenged with my health, so I haven't had the energy to take care of much.

A lot has happened in my life too, and I moved at the end of 2021.
In 2022 (at that time my cat is now 10 years old) I booked an appointment with the vet to check my cat's teeth. The vet said there was a lot of plaque on his teeth and his gums were red. So they said he needed to be anesthetized so they could clean his teeth. That was done, and they did the x-rays, and thankfully there were no signs of ORL.



A few weeks ago, I went for a health check with my cat, everything was fine, ears, fur, and heart sounded fine according to the vet. But the vet said that his teeth didn't look good because there is a lot of plaque and his gums are red around the edges.
The vet told me to make an appointment to have his teeth cleaned under anesthesia.

My question to you now is, is that the only thing I can do? I'm not keen on my cat being put under anesthesia again, he's 11 years old now.

I have never done anything to ensure his dental hygiene.
However, I did switch from dry food to raw meat, which I've been giving for 5 years now. My cats get chicken, turkey or rabbit meat, some liver, and some small pieces of chicken neck. They will not eat large pieces of chicken neck.

Thanks in advance for your answers

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I'm not keen on my cat being put under anesthesia again, he's 11 years old now.

Most anesthetic protocols are super safe nowadays. Was the last dental when he was 10 (and was this also done by the vet dental specialist?)? And when was the one prior to that (after the one he had at 3 years)?

I have never done anything to ensure his dental hygiene.

Ah, but you probably will from here on! That way this can be your kitty's last dental.

You can also try things like hand scaling, using the NZ Deer Velvet oral spray, Proden Plaqueoff, etc. and see if that helps avoid the need for the dental.

@Dr. Jean Hofve, what say you?

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

With your kitty's history, I'd be inclined to go ahead and do a full dental. As Dr. Jeff said, with proper care in the future, maybe this can be the last one.

Eleven isn't that old for a cat, and with proper fluids, monitoring, etc. anesthesia is pretty darn safe. I never lost a cat under anesthesia, and I did dentals on cats as old as 20--and that was decades ago when things weren't nearly as safe as they are now!

Dental care is vitally important. Left untreated, infection can set in and create a haven for bacteria, which have an instant on-ramp to the bloodstream, with access to seed infection elsewhere: heart, kidneys, liver, lungs... not a good situation! Plus, dental decay is VERY PAINFUL. It is a major destroyer of quality of life for older kitties.

Products won't get rid of plaque and inflammation that is already there, but once cleaned out, there are lots of ways to keep the mouth healthy forever after!

 

[BettinaT]

Most anesthetic protocols are super safe nowadays. Was the last dental when he was 10 (and was this also done by the vet dental specialist?)? And when was the one prior to that (after the one he had at 3 years)?

Ah, but you probably will from here on! That way this can be your kitty's last dental.

You can also try things like hand scaling, using the NZ Deer Velvet oral spray, Proden Plaqueoff, etc. and see if that helps avoid the need for the dental.

@Dr. Jean Hofve, what say you?

@Dr. Jeff
Yes, the last dental cleaning was when he was 9, almost 10. It was done by the regular vet.
I have moved far away from where I used to live where the dental specialist was. So it's not an option for me to use that place.

I'm just wondering if I can do something now, like what you mentioned about plaque off and other things, so I could avoid him having to go to the vet again and be anesthetized to have his teeth cleaned.

But as I understand it @Dr. Jean Hofve , the only right thing to do is to have the teeth cleaning done under anesthesia?

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

As I said, if there is already significant plaque/inflammation, then a proper cleaning is necessary. Clean teeth can then be maintained with those products, but they won't fix what's there now.

 

[BettinaT]

As I said, if there is already significant plaque/inflammation, then a proper cleaning is necessary. Clean teeth can then be maintained with those products, but they won't fix what's there now.

So after the dental cleaning this time, what can I do right after to ensure the best possible dental hygiene?

Because the other times, I haven't done anything after. And I want to learn that now and do the best I can

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Dr. Jeff made several good suggestions. I like Teef! myself. Goes in drinking water, easy peasy.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

I'm just wondering if I can do something now, like what you mentioned about plaque off and other things, so I could avoid him having to go to the vet again and be anesthetized to have his teeth cleaned.

Great question Bettina! It depends on the severity of his dental dis-ease.

As Dr. Jean said, sometimes the best option is a full dental (with dental x-rays) so you can then start practicing good dental hygiene.

 

[GinnyW]

We are using Teef! and also PetLab's ProBright. AND he has a dental scheduled for March 19th, as I don't wish to watch and wait to see if the crap falls off. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I have quit all the plain vegetable matter, short of treats and bits, betting that his dietary adjuncts will provide all the nutrition he needs. I didn't want to knock him out unnecessarily, but assurances from you guys made me feel just fine about it.

 

[DayshaG]

@GinnyW good luck with your kitty! I just had my almost 14 year old kitty Maya have a full dental cleaning and xrays with extractions under anesthesia this month and she did just fine! I like the recommendation of Teef! Will look into that.

 

[BettinaT]

Is there anything else I can do or be aware of when I choose to have my cat's teeth cleaned again? He is a Birman cat.

The last time he had his teeth cleaned was in May 2022.

I think I will book an appointment in a couple of months so we can get out of the winter energy

And a question for you @Dr. Jeff , what do you think would be best to start doing after the dental cleaning so I can start taking care of his dental health?

 

[BettinaT]

Great question Bettina! It depends on the severity of his dental dis-ease.

As Dr. Jean said, sometimes the best option is a full dental (with dental x-rays) so you can then start practicing good dental hygiene.

My cat has a dark layer of plaque on its teeth. It's like a hard shield.

The last time he had a dental cleaning in the year 2022, the x-ray images were fine, there was nothing wrong with his teeth.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hey Bettina!

Is there anything else I can do or be aware of when I choose to have my cat's teeth cleaned again?

Yes! Help him get in the best balance possible prior to the dental. If he seems well balanced (BEAM above 8 and no funky symptoms) then he will be fine!

what do you think would be best to start doing after the dental cleaning so I can start taking care of his dental health?

Anything you do would be great!?

Seriously tho, even just wiping his teeth with a damp washcloth will help. Gnawing on big hunks of meat, raw chicken necks, etc.

There's lots of other stuff mentioned in this thread, elsewhere on the forum and throughout the member site dental resources.

the x-ray images were fine, there was nothing wrong with his teeth.

Great! An important reason to have a dental done by a vet that has dental x-rays is to make sure that pieces of root are not sitting in the soft tissues of the jaw after extractions.

 

[BettinaT]

Hey Bettina!

Yes! Help him get in the best balance possible prior to the dental. If he seems well balanced (BEAM above 8 and no funky symptoms) then he will be fine!

Anything you do would be great!?

Seriously tho, even just wiping his teeth with a damp washcloth will help. Gnawing on big hunks of meat, raw chicken necks, etc.

There's lots of other stuff mentioned in this thread, elsewhere on the forum and throughout the member site dental resources.

Great! An important reason to have a dental done by a vet that has dental x-rays is to make sure that pieces of root are not sitting in the soft tissues of the jaw after extractions.

Do you think I should also ask my cat to get x-rays this time when he has his teeth cleaned again?
He had his last dental x-ray in 2022

 

[Dr. Jeff]

IMHO, dental x-rays should be done every time a dental is done (especially if there are extractions).

@Dr. Jean Hofve, what do you think about the necessity of dental x-rays?

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Agreed!

 

[BettinaT]

Agreed!

So even if he had his teeth x-rayed in 2022, is it a good idea to have it done again for his teeth cleaning soon?

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Absolutely. Remember, a year for us is worth about 6+ years to a cat. I'm not fond of the dentist but I wouldn't skip it for 12 years... and x-rays are a vital adjunct, since the cat can't say, "ya know, that's been sore right there for a while..." or even leave you a post-it note about it!

 

[BettinaT]

Hey Bettina!

Yes! Help him get in the best balance possible prior to the dental. If he seems well balanced (BEAM above 8 and no funky symptoms) then he will be fine!

Anything you do would be great!?

Seriously tho, even just wiping his teeth with a damp washcloth will help. Gnawing on big hunks of meat, raw chicken necks, etc.

There's lots of other stuff mentioned in this thread, elsewhere on the forum and throughout the member site dental resources.

Great! An important reason to have a dental done by a vet that has dental x-rays is to make sure that pieces of root are not sitting in the soft tissues of the jaw after extractions.

Hi again @Dr. Jeff
I have now booked an appointment for a dental cleaning on April 11th

I thought about what you mentioned that anything I could do would be good after his teeth cleaning. I just saw this spray, do you have any experience with it? Would it be beneficial to use on my cat after his teeth cleaning?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSG9W8Z3?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0BSG9W8Z3&pd_rd_w=Kbj5D&content-id=amzn1.sym.f734d1a2-0bf9-4a26-ad34-2e1b969a5a75&pf_rd_p=f734d1a2-0bf9-4a26-ad34-2e1b969a5a75&pf_rd_r=7VSJVRJ7K8PEG48HMHCX&pd_rd_wg=A3WFZ&pd_rd_r=cc4c2fab-8499-4363-a9ce-eb5c5724c9a4&s=pet-supplies&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWw&linkCode=sl1&tag=anthonwilliai-20&linkId=c7f6d606440c0c7009713fd29b3efa38&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

No, I would not recommend this. For one thing, good luck getting a cat to tolerate having their mouth thoroughly sprayed *once* let alone daily, lol. For another, silver is an antibiotic, which will upset the microbiome in the mouth and prevent it from naturally re-populating after the cleaning. And for one more, dental disease occurs *below* the gumline, which a spray will do absolutely nothing for.

The products Dr. Jeff and I recommended have proven value that we have personally seen, so I'd stick with the tried-and-true.