Dental Problems

The following text is an extract from the Client Information Series published in Feline Practice, Volume 23, Number 4:

"Like People, cats may suffer from dental problems such as:

• dental plaque and calculus (tartar) buildup
  
• gingivitis (reversible gum tissue inflammation)
  
• periodontitis (irreversible loss of tissue and bone, eventual tooth loss)
• tooth root abscesses
• tooth defects
• retained deciduous (baby) teeth
• extra permanent teeth etc. etc.

  Dental plaque is a soft, sticky, bacteria-laden film which adheres to the teeth. If left untreated, it hardens into calculus. The heaviest deposits occur on the outside of the upper cheek teeth. If not removed, calculus can lead to periodontal disease, an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the teeth. You should begin brushing your cat's teeth when it is a kitten, using something that tastes good, like tuna water. Consult your veterinarian on what is safe with your individual cat.
  

  Gingivitis is a reversible form of periodontal disease. It is present in most cats by 1-4 years of age and can cause low-grade infections that keep cats from feeling their best. Gingivitis can be reversed by professional dental prohphylaxis (teeth cleaning) and polishing followed by home dental care.
  

  Periodontitis is a more severe form of periodontal disease. With periodontitis, there is irreversible tissue loss. If treated early enough, however, periodontitis can usually be controlled by professional dental care. In more severe cases repeating care every 3 to 6 months is needed along with daily home dental care to keep periodontitis under control.
  Both gingivitis and periodontitis can usually be prevented by daily home dental care and regular prophylaxis.
  Gingivitis and periodontitis may be more difficult to control in cats with organ dysfunction, such as kidney disorders or other chronic problems, such as immune deficiencies. A high level of dental care is especially important in these pets.
  Bad breath is one of the first signs of periodontal disease. Because cats are meat eaters, the odor of their breath is sometimes unpleasant; however, bad breath plus plaque and/or calculus and reddening of the gums indicates periodontal disease is present, and a dental examination is in order.
  To perform a thorough dental prophylaxis, it is necessary to anesthetize your cat. Laboratory analysis is recommended prior to anesthesia."
  
  

  To give you also a different approach to the problem, I'd like to print some thoughts of Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, published in his book "Natural Health for Dogs & Cats":
  

  "Periodontal Disease is the most common tooth and gum problem. It results from a change in the normal saliva, which creates a buildup of calcium salts, food, hair and bacteria on the animal's teeth. These deposits put pressure on the gums, causing inflammation, swelling, pulling away and receding gums. A pocket opens up between the gums and teeth, which collects still more debris and further worsens the problem. Eventually, the process can loosen the teeth and cause them to fall out.
  

  Of course, periodontal disease doesn't destroy teeth overnight. It may take months or years. A serious complication is the development of an abscess which destroys the root of the tooth.
  

  If your pet has periodontal disease, it will show these symptoms: bleeding gums, foul breath, excessive salivation, painful chewing (dropping food while eating or turning ist head to the side to chew only on one side) and possible loss of appetite or weight. You can see heavy brown deposits (calculus) on the teeth, particularly on the back ones. And the teeth may be losse.
  

  The usual causes for the buildup of calculus are misaligned teeth, overfeeding, poorquality food, lack of hard, chewable things to exercise the teeth and gums and frequent nibbling. Once the deposits have formed, they are rock-hard and can only be removed adequately by your veterinarian (under anesthesia) with careful hand-scraping or an ultrasonic cleaner. Often the infected and loose teeth must also be extracted and hemorrhage controlled.
  

  After any dental work at the hospital, you can do a lot with follow-up care both to promote rapid healing and to prevent recurrence. The gums will be sore and inflamed. Certain herbs will be very helpful like Echinacea (useful, where teeth were found to be infected and the animal is thin and run down), Goldenseal (this herb is antispetic and helpful for new gum tissue growth), Marrh (indicated for loose teeth) or Plantain (helps, when the condition is not serious enough to require major cleaning but when there are minor deposits on the teeth and the gums are inflamed). General directions for herbs: Use it twice a day for 10 to 14 days. Alternatively, use the herb in the morning and apply vitamine E (fresh out of the capsule) to the gums with your fingers at night (this treatment is very soothing).
  

  Diet is also extremely important in the period after teeth cleaning. Without proper nutrition the gums can't repair themselves or maintain necessary resilience. Emphasize those vegetables rich in niacin, folate and minerals like leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, lima beans, potatoes, alfalfa sprouts and lettuce. Also, serve fresh liver twice weekly for ist folate, vitamin A, protein and other richly supplied nutrients. Another good folate source are eggs. You can add 1/8 to ½ teaspoon of bonemeal powder for extra calcium and phosphorus, 100 to 1'000 mg of vitamin C (sodium ascorbate) twice daily and a b-complex tablet or capsule with the major vitamins at the 5- to10 mg level (amount depend on the animal's size). Use these extra supplements for the next three weeks.
  

  I would like to add here that since I switched from an all commercial diet to an almost homemade diet with partly cooked, partly raw meat, fresh vegetable and fruits and appropriate supplements my Abys seem to get rid of their gum problems! But, before you switch over to such a homemade diet be sure to get the right knowledge about it. You can do more harm to your cats than any good if the diet is not balanced! Never feed an ONLY meat diet! Special attention has to be given to an appropriate calcium/phosphor ratio as has to the fat soluble vitamins like A, D and E. A good start however before you might switch is to add fresh vegetables/fruit and especially alfalfa sprouts plus vitamin C to your commercial diet. Check out the "Reading Materials" section of this homepage, where you'll find some good references for books about nutrition. Some words about vitamin C: Although felines are capable of manufacturing the vitamin themselves, they need often - for an effective immune system - more than they can produce. This is especially true for indoor cats. Outdoor cats can supplement their supply of vitamin C by hunting or eating their prey, which, if it's a mouse, has this vitamin in large supply. Stress of any kind (illness, a new pet in the home, travel, x-ray etc. etc.) calls for more vitamin C than most cats can produce to combat sucessfully. This lowers their resistance, making them more vulnerable to infections (viral and bacterial) and disease, in effect leaving them with an immune system that's not even worth ist name. Unfortunately, most of commercial cat foods are not fortified with vitamin C. Natural vitamin C is primarily found in vegetables and fruits (a very good source of vitamin C and alot of other vitamines plus minerals and enzymes are Alfalfa sprouts!). But you can supplement with artificial vitamin C. Use the sodium ascorbate instead of ascorbic acid. BTW, cats who live with smokers need extra vitamin C (like do the smokers themselves)!
  
  
  Finally, don't miss to check out the following interesting web site which might give some insight about the correlation of commercial food and periodontal diseases and its consequences:
  
  

  Dr. Tom Lonsdale, Veterinary Surgeon
  
  
  

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