As a veterinarian, you already know how important dental health is to your patients—and you also know that dental health concerns can vary by species.
Today, we’ll be covering some tips for dental care in cats, both before and after the dental procedure.
Knowing Your Way Around a Cat’s Mouth
Quick—how many teeth should an adult cat have?
Clients often ask questions like this. A timely, confident answer will help inspire confidence when they leave their pet with you for oral care.
Plus, knowing the normal dental formula for each species serves an important purpose DURING a dental procedure.
For example, it helps a veterinarian or vet tech easily determine whether or not there are any missing teeth—a discovery that could prompt further exploration and potentially diagnose a problem that needs to be addressed.
Similarly, when performing extractions, it’s important to know how many roots the tooth has, to ensure no root tips get left behind. Knowing the approximate length and direction of each root will also help a vet extract the tooth more efficiently.
Know the Most Common Issues to Look For
Of course, dental tartar and periodontal disease are common concerns in both dogs and cats. But each species also carries their own unique dental problems that occur commonly.
For example, FORLs/resorptive lesions are fairly common in cats, but not so much in dogs. Felines are also more prone to certain inflammatory conditions such as stomatitis.
While it’s important to keep a look out for anything that could be part of a disease process, knowing the common issues in each species could help a vet pick up on subtle or early changes.
Also, be aware of normal structures that could be confused for a mass or lesion—such as the lingual molar salivary gland in cats.
Dental Radiographs: Why, When, and How
The WHY is simple: Dental x-rays are important because they allow a veterinarian to see the whole picture of a pet’s dental health—which frequently includes problems brewing below the gumline.
But, WHEN and HOW should dental x-rays be performed?
Many experts recommend taking a full set of dental radiographs immediately after anesthesia induction. Usually, this task is performed by a skilled vet tech or nurse, along with anesthesia monitoring.
It’s worthwhile to invest in training for this important skill. Consider sending team members to a conference or course, or asking the company that sold the dental x-ray equipment if they offer training. And setting up a standard technique (performing the views in the same order each time) can improve efficiency.
Performing radiographs prior to the cleaning gives the vet a chance to review the radiographs. These findings, along with a visual assessment of the patient’s mouth (including charting), gives a lot of information to support a call to the owner, if needed for additional treatments.
For routine cleanings, this may be all that is needed. But for patients who are receiving extractions or more advanced procedures, it’s beneficial to perform post-op dental x-rays. This confirms that everything was done properly and safely, in case any new concerns arise later.
Tips for Cleaning a Cat’s Teeth During a Dental Procedure
After charting is done, the typical dental procedure consists of scaling and polishing.
Scaling of the enamel can be done with an ultrasonic/and or hand scaler, while curettes (sometimes in combination with a specialized, “periodontal tip” on the ultrasonic scaler) are used to clean below the gumline.
Polishing is performed using a low-speed handpiece, usually with disposable prophy angles and fine-grit prophy paste.
Dental extractions may be done at the point during the procedure that works best for that patient’s needs and the veterinarian’s preference. For example, it may make sense to pull very loose teeth prior to cleaning (no point in spending time cleaning a tooth that is about to fall out), while more complicated extractions might be performed further into the procedure.
Here are a few tips for dental cleaning:
Make sure to stock the right size tools (scalers, etc.) in the practice, which means a range of sizes if you see everything from cats to large dogs. Smaller tools for cats allow for getting into crevices and cleaning more efficiently.
Use time limits to avoid overheating of the teeth, i.e. no more than 10 seconds at a time on any tooth with the ultrasonic scaler, or 5 seconds with the polisher.
In cats, due to the small size and shape of their skull, the eye sits very close to the maxillary teeth. Therefore, be careful while probing or cleaning deep periodontal pockets in that area (not to mention during nerve blocks or extractions) to avoid traumatic injuries to the eye.
Due to the prevalence of periodontal disease, and the abundance of oral and dental diseases that can occur in cats, there’s no doubt that dental health is important for their overall health and comfort.
Client expectations are evolving. Many devoted pet owners research dental procedures online and expect a high level of care for their cat’s oral health needs.
By investing in dentistry—and then communicating the value of each step to their clients—a veterinary practice can bring in income while providing excellent care to their feline patients.
Written by: Dr. Tammy Powell, DVM
