Cat Dental Care: A Vet’s Guide to Healthier Teeth and Gums

Up to 90% of cats over the age of four have some form of dental disease.

Your cat's mouth affects much more than their breath. It shapes how comfortably they eat, groom and get on with their day.

From red, sore gums and tooth resorption to an unbalanced mix of bacteria in the mouth, dental problems can quietly wear down your cat's quality of life. Cats are also very good at hiding a sore mouth, so these problems often go unnoticed.

Healthy, clean teeth mean less pain, fresher breath and a more comfortable cat. The best way to get there is a simple daily routine at home, plus a yearly vet check. That routine might be brushing, a dental diet or a scoop of dental powder in their food.

Daily care matters because dental disease is very common in cats and easy to miss. Dental disease in cats is any painful problem of the teeth or gums, most often gum disease or tooth resorption. Studies report that between 50% and 90% of cats over four have some form of it.

Gum disease starts with plaque. Plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria, saliva and food that forms on teeth after every meal. Left alone, plaque can start hardening within a few days. Hardened plaque is called tartar, or calculus. It is the brown crust you may see near the gum line.

Bacteria in plaque inflame the gums first. This early stage is called gingivitis, and it can settle with good cleaning. Left longer, it becomes periodontitis, which slowly destroys the bone and tissue holding each tooth. That stage cannot be reversed, so the goal at home is to remove plaque before it hardens, every day.

Tooth resorption is a condition where a cat's own body slowly breaks down the structure of a tooth. It is the most common cause of tooth loss in cats, and 30% to 70% of cats show some sign of it. The cause is not known.

It often shows as a small pink spot where the tooth meets the gum. Much of the damage sits below the gum line, so it usually needs dental X-rays to find. Affected teeth are often painful and are usually removed.

Stomatitis is severe, painful inflammation of the gums and the lining of the mouth, often towards the back. Cats with it may drool, stop grooming or cry out when they eat. It needs veterinary treatment, and home care will not settle it alone.

Risk rises with age and body weight. In a large UK study of cats in general practice, Siamese and Maine Coon cats had the highest rates of diagnosed gum disease. Flat-faced breeds such as Persians have crowded teeth that trap more plaque. Keeping your cat at a healthy weight helps their teeth as well as their joints.

Daily brushing removes more plaque than any other home option, and most cats can learn to accept it.

Kittens usually adapt quickly. Adult cats can learn too, at any age, as long as you go slowly.

If your cat's gums are already red or bleeding, see your vet before you start. Brushing sore gums hurts, and a cat that links brushing with pain is unlikely to accept it later.

Choose a toothpaste made for pets and a brush small enough for a cat's mouth, with very soft bristles.

Toothpaste. Never use a human toothpaste. Cats swallow toothpaste, and human toothpaste is not safe to swallow. Pet toothpastes come in flavours like chicken and fish, so try a couple to find one your cat likes. Dentipet Toothpaste Chicken Flavour is a good place to start.

Toothbrush. A cat's mouth is small, so the brush head should be too. Most cats do best starting with a finger brush, a soft rubber sleeve that fits over your fingertip. It feels more like the finger they are already used to.

Once your cat accepts that, move to a small cat toothbrush with soft bristles. It reaches the back teeth more easily. A toothpaste kit with a finger brush covers both steps at once.

Keep sessions short and calm, at the same time each day. Cats like routine, and a predictable time helps.

• Start with taste. Let your cat lick a little toothpaste off your finger for a few days.
• Touch the mouth. Gently lift the lip and rub a finger along the outside of the teeth and gums.
• Add a brush. Move to a finger brush, then a small, soft cat toothbrush if your cat accepts it. Brush the outer surfaces in small circles, angled towards the gum line.
• Build up slowly. Start with about ten seconds a side and build up to 30 seconds over a few weeks.
• Stop while it's going well. End with praise or a treat before your cat gets restless.

Use a separate toothbrush for each cat in the house, so you don't pass mouth bacteria between them.

Aim for once a day. Plaque returns after every meal, so short daily sessions do more than a long session once a week.

If brushing isn't working, these daily options still reduce plaque: dental diets, dental treats, water additives, gels and dental powders.

Brushing a cat is genuinely hard, and many cat parents never get past step two. That is no reason to give up on the rest of the routine.

The options below work through what your cat eats or drinks. Each reaches fewer surfaces than a brush, so combining two covers more ground than one.

Look for the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal when you compare products. The VOHC only awards it to products shown in trials to reduce plaque or tartar.

Dental dry foods use a larger kibble with a fibre structure that wipes the tooth as your cat bites through. They suit cats far better than chews, because most cats don't chew for long. Hill's Prescription Diet t/d and Science Diet Oral Care both carry the VOHC seal for cats. Royal Canin also makes dental formulas.

Ordinary dry food does little to prevent dental disease. Dental kibble is built differently, so check the label for a dental claim or the VOHC seal.

Dental treats have a texture designed to scrape the tooth as your cat chews. Feline Greenies carry the VOHC seal for tartar. Count them as part of your cat's daily food, because extra weight is a risk factor for gum disease. Browse our dental treats for cats.

A water additive is a liquid you add to your cat's water bowl. Some cats notice the change and drink less, which matters for their kidneys. Introduce it slowly and keep a second, plain water bowl out. Aquadent FR3SH and TropiClean Fresh Breath are made for cats.

An oral gel is dabbed onto the gums once a day and spreads as your cat licks. Maxi/Guard Oral Cleansing Gel is one example. Gels and wipes are a good next step for cats that tolerate a finger in the mouth but not a brush.

Dental powders are the newest option and the least known. They suit cats that won't be brushed and won't eat dental biscuits. The next section covers how they work.

A dental powder is a supplement you sprinkle on your cat's food once a day to help reduce plaque, tartar and bad breath. It needs no handling and no chewing.

Most dental powders are built on a brown seaweed called kelp (Ascophyllum nodosum). Your cat eats it with a meal, and its active compounds are thought to reach the teeth through saliva. There they help slow plaque build-up and its hardening into tartar.

A 2023 review of the research found kelp reduced plaque and tartar in both dogs and cats. It worked best given as a powder rather than in treats or food.

Some newer powders add postbiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that have been inactivated but still have an effect. They are added to support a balanced oral microbiome, meaning the mix of good and bad bacteria living in the mouth. Research on postbiotics for cat teeth is still at an early stage.

A powder helps prevent new plaque and tartar. In the one study that tested kelp on cats' existing tartar, it made no difference. If your cat already has visible tartar, start a powder after a professional clean. A powder also cannot prevent tooth resorption.

Kelp is naturally high in iodine. An overactive thyroid gland, called hyperthyroidism, is common in middle-aged and older cats. One treatment for it is an iodine-restricted diet. Do not give a kelp-based powder to a cat with a thyroid condition, or on a thyroid diet or medication, unless your vet has approved it.

Cats notice changes to their food. Start with a pinch, well below the full dose, mixed into a small amount of wet food. Build up to the full scoop over a week or two. If your cat eats only dry food, a little water helps the powder stick.

Three dental powders made for cats are worth comparing:

• PlaqueOff for Cats is a kelp powder and carries the VOHC seal for reducing plaque and tartar in cats.
• PlaqEase by Protexin Veterinary combines kelp with a postbiotic, a prebiotic fibre and vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body make collagen, which keeps gum tissue healthy. It has an artificial chicken flavour and is made for both cats and dogs.
• DentiCare PlaqueAid+ pairs kelp with postbiotics.

You can see the full range in our dental products for cats. Most powders take a few weeks of daily use before you notice fresher breath.

The best routine is the one you will still be doing in six months. Start from how much handling your cat will accept, then build from there.

Cats hide mouth pain well, so many keep eating while their teeth hurt.

The changes tend to be small. Book a dental check with your vet if you notice:

• Breath that smells bad every day, from bacteria in plaque and inflamed gums
• A red line along the gum edge, or a brown crust where the tooth meets the gum
• A small pink spot on a tooth at the gum line, which can be tooth resorption
• Chewing on one side, dropping food, or swallowing kibble whole
• A new preference for wet food over dry, because chewing hurts
• Drooling, pawing at the mouth or a jaw that chatters when they eat
• Grooming less, so the coat looks scruffy or greasy, because grooming uses the mouth

Once tartar has formed, only a professional clean under anaesthesia removes it.

A dental clean at the vet is called a scale and polish. Your cat is under general anaesthetic so the vet can clean above and below the gum line. Dental X-rays are especially important in cats, because tooth resorption is hard to see from the outside.

Painful teeth, including those affected by resorption, are usually removed. Cats generally cope well afterwards, and many eat more comfortably once the sore teeth are gone.

Anaesthesia-free cleaning only scrapes the visible crown and cannot check below the gum line. The best time to start a home routine is the week after a professional clean, when the teeth are smooth again.

Call your vet the same day if your cat has any of these signs. Most other dental problems can wait for a routine appointment.

Same-day signs:

• Not eating for more than a day. Cats that stop eating can become seriously unwell quickly
• Swelling on the face or jaw, or discharge near an eye
• Drooling with blood, or bleeding from the mouth that doesn't stop
• Crying out, or running away from the bowl, when trying to eat
• A lump, ulcer or growth anywhere in the mouth

Noticing your cat's teeth is the hardest step, and you have taken it. Pick one daily habit your cat accepts, book a dental check at their next vet visit, and build from there.