# How to brush cat's teeth guide



## sweetyanna (Apr 13, 2008)

Hi, I hope this topic can possibly be stickied .

*Introduction*
Brushing cat's teeth can be a very important form of preventative care along with a proper diet. Not only can it prevent future suffering and medical complications, but also expensive procedures and unnecessary spending! Snowy used to require regular dental scrapings and the vet anticipated a dental procedure in the near future but ensured to educate us on how feasible it really is to brush a cat's teeth! It has been a year now and Snowy has not needed ANY scrapings or procedures .

Picture of cat's teeth (as I will make some references to specific areas that get brushed in certain orders)








Source: http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/

*Preparation*
Consultation with a veterinarian will be helpful to identify any existing dental problems. For example, certain problems require procedures and some already cause the gums to be tender, therefore should the owner attempt the brush, it can create an unpleasant encounter and create a negative association the cat will have with brushing.

Choosing a suitable toothpaste and brush are next. As members have mentioned, it is important to find one created for cats and one that is palatable to make the process much easier. There are a variety of brushes and choosing the right one will help you further brush in harder to reach places, especially as cats have tight oral crevices and lips.
Below are the specific paste and brush I like to use, it has been preferred by vets in my area as well as techs who have cats of their own.









*Week 1*
*Note: with cat teeth, you only need to clean the outside (i.e. the side of the teeth facing you, not the sides facing the tongue).
Get kitty used to having their teeth handled. On a daily basis and preferably the same time every day, for 30-60 seconds, just run your fingers over their teeth. Reward kitty promptly with a treat. If the kitty seems uneasy, it may be helpful to approach them from the rear (as advised by my vet and it seems to help), as when they back away, they back into you and you seem less threatening as opposed to approaching head on. You can keep the session as short as you want if kitty gets uneasy and gradually increase the time.

*Week 2*
Put a little toothpaste over your finger and let kitty sniff and taste some of it. I use the CET Enzymatic Toothpaste for cats in poultry flavor (can be found at: http://www.virbacvet.com/cet/product/ce ... oultry/34/). Then with the remainder of the toothpaste rub it gently over _ALL_ the teeth again for 30-60 seconds daily (or fewer teeth or for a shorter time if kitty prefers), preferably the same time each day, and promptly reward with a treat. You may continue approaching from the rear if preferred (I still brush Snowy's teeth by approach from the rear).

*Week 3*
Introduce the toothbrush (I prefer the angled toothbrush offered in the CET packet found at http://www.virbacvet.com/cet/product/ce ... packet/34/) and put some paste on it. Let kitty sniff the brush and lick some of the paste off. Try to gently sweep over the canines with the brush. Again, same time of day, reward promptly with a treat.

*Week 3-4*
At the kitty's preferred pace, gradually brush more and more teeth and increase the duration and rigor at which you brush. Continue to try to do this at the same time of day and reward it promptly with a treat (Snowy actually still gets a treat!). As kitty gets more accustomed to this, you can focus on the areas that tend to be more problematic. I like to brush in a circular fashion along the gum lines. The upper premolars and molars tend to be most tartar prone in my experience, so when I brush, I go after those first (concentrating the paste on those areas).

*My personal brushing technique*
-Approach kitty from the back by kneeling on my legs, pulling kitty with his rear facing me, towards me as he lays on his belly. 
-I fold over him such that his bottom is pushed against my knees and my head is over his head, stay knelt but spread my legs to move him further towards me and get him nestled in a nice stable position.
-Lay kitty on his left side, place your left palm over the top of his head and use the thumb to catch the right corner of his mouth, pull the corner back to expose the teeth all the way to the molars (or premolars if you can only go that far), tilt the head such that the left side is downwards and his right side faces you better. Use the right hand and start brushing in a circular motion the top premolars and molars along the gum lines, then the bottom premolars and molars, then the canines, and the upper and lower incisors.
-Add another dollop of toothpaste on the brush. Lay kitty on the right side, place your right palm over the top of his head, use your right thumb to catch the left corner of his mouth, tilt the head so his right side is downwards and left side faces you better, and brush likewise on his other side this time with the toothbrush in your left hand.

*Frequency*
Completely up to...the kitty really :lol:. If they can tolerate daily brushings, more power to them! There is suggestion that plaque starts to harden in 2-3 days, so brushing more frequently would be in their best interest. Snowy has his teeth brushed daily, just like everyone else in the household. Some owners do it every few days or every week. But the daily brushings seem to have really helped Snowy.

Cornell also has an excellent video on how to train kitty and they use the products I mentioned, the link is: http://partnersah.vet.cornell.edu/Brush ... ng-Program

I'll try to show a vid of me brushing Snowy's teeth when there is time too .

_Special thanks to the following for further contributions:
lv2ski
~Siameseifuplz~_


----------



## SarahJ (Mar 28, 2010)

Thanks for posting this!


----------



## lv2ski (Feb 18, 2010)

This is a wonderful article which I think should be stickied for every forum member to see and access with ease. I've always wondered about how to brush a cat's teeth and what type of toothpaste and brush to use and this article answered those questions. 

BTW, are there any harmful ingredients in pet toothpaste that we should stay clear from? Is there another brand that forum members can add to the list for possible toothpaste? 

This is the toothpaste that was suggested in the article: 



> Ingredients:
> 
> Sorbitol, Purified Water, Dicalcium Phosphate Anyhydrous, Hydrated Silica, Glycerin, Poultry Digest, Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Thiocyanate, Glucose Oxidase (Aspergillus niger) and Lactoperoxidase.


Thank you for posting this, anna.


----------



## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

I also use CET toothpaste but what's really important is finding a paste your cat likes the taste of. It doesn't mater what technique you use, if you cat thinks the paste tastes repulsing he is not going to accept it.

My biggest problem with brushing is reaching the molars, his lips are too tight for my brush to fit back there. Maybe with that CET brush it would work better, I just might have to buy it.

I also read that plaque starts to harden within 2-3 days and is completely hardened in about 12 days. So for best prevention brushing every two days (or every day) is ideal.


----------



## catlady2010 (Feb 4, 2010)

So it matters what type of tooth paste you use? I use Four Paws Petdental tooth paste. It's like the cheapest at Petco. 

These are the ingredients: Active Ingredient: sodium monofluorophosphate. Also contains: dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, sorbitol, water, glycerine, cellulose gum, sodium carrageenan, acesulfame K, titanium dioxide, EDTA methylparaben, propylparaben, sodium benzoate, flavor, caramel, FD&C yellow no. 5, FD&C yellow no 6.

I am also planning on brushing their teeth everyday.


----------



## lv2ski (Feb 18, 2010)

Is it just me or can you not buy this ( http://www.virbacvet.com/cet/product/cet_enzymatic_toothpaste_for_dogs_cats_poultry/34/ ) through their site? :? Why can't I find the "Purchase Now" button?

It is only available in stores?


----------



## sweetyanna (Apr 13, 2008)

Thanks everyone for such reassuring feedback .



lv2ski said:


> This is the toothpaste that was suggested in the article:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Aside from if the cat has specific allergies, I am not aware of any harmful ingredients to be clear of. Of course, consultation with the vet may be best as they can help pick out which toothpaste is ideal and spot other dental issues that may need to be addressed first. 

The ingredients above seem standard, I know the glucose oxidase and lactoperoxidase are the actual enzymes that are supposed to help with dental disease (they process the sugars so bacteria don't have it available for their use). 

Sorbitol I think is an artificial sweetener. I don't think cat's can taste sweet but even though for us it tastes sweet, the chemical structure makes it impossible for mammalian and probably prokaryotic cells to get any metabolic utility out of it. At least in people, it stimulates salivation which has some antimicrobial effects of its own along with physical flushing of bacteria from the spit itself.

Sodium benzoate is a bacteriostatic and fungistatic preservative.

Glycerin I think is a lubricant.

Hydrated silica is a gel abrasive that when used in toothpaste helps mechanically sheer off plaque.

Xanthan gum helps make the paste more viscous.

Titanium dioxide has been used in dental bleaching agents but also helps odor control.

Potassium Thiocyanate and Dicalcium Phosphate Anyhydrous, I am not sure what their roles are, but they sound like they are preservatives. Not sure what the dextrose is for either.



lv2ski said:


> Is it just me or can you not buy this ( http://www.virbacvet.com/cet/product/cet_enzymatic_toothpaste_for_dogs_cats_poultry/34/ ) through their site? :? Why can't I find the "Purchase Now" button?
> 
> It is only available in stores?


Interesting, I'm not sure either. I do know it is available on Amazon though. But safest bets may be at a known vender like the vet's office.



~Siameseifuplz~ said:


> I also use CET toothpaste but what's really important is finding a paste your cat likes the taste of. It doesn't mater what technique you use, if you cat thinks the paste tastes repulsing he is not going to accept it.


Excellent point! When my fiance took the initiative on his own to clean Snowy's teeth, his first attempt was with these cloths sold at the pet supply store that were saturated in baking soda. It was like WWIII here! The CET site offers the fish flavor too. They also have a paste with some slightly different formulations for tartar control. People seem to have pretty good results with the poultry flavor. 



~Siameseifuplz~ said:


> My biggest problem with brushing is reaching the molars, his lips are too tight for my brush to fit back there. Maybe with that CET brush it would work better, I just might have to buy it.











Yea, this is the brush I specifically use, it is perfect for getting into little crooks and crannies .

I'll continue to modify the main article and incorporate people's input!


----------



## sweetyanna (Apr 13, 2008)

catlady2010 said:


> So it matters what type of tooth paste you use? I use Four Paws Petdental tooth paste. It's like the cheapest at Petco.
> 
> These are the ingredients: Active Ingredient: sodium monofluorophosphate. Also contains: dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, sorbitol, water, glycerine, cellulose gum, sodium carrageenan, acesulfame K, titanium dioxide, EDTA methylparaben, propylparaben, sodium benzoate, flavor, caramel, FD&C yellow no. 5, FD&C yellow no 6.
> 
> I am also planning on brushing their teeth everyday.


Yay! Wow, so many people getting involved with teeth brushing, this is all such great news! I'd say if that paste is working well for you and their teeth are doing well with it, I see no reason to change the paste. If they start to have dental issues, there are a multitude of pastes to choose from that can be better targeted for them and the vet should have pretty good knowledge about what to use. The vets here are especially proactive with dental health .


----------

