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The World’s Largest Genetic Registry of Pedigreed Cats
Feline Oral Health
By Royal Canin Scientific Communications
In case you missed it, February was National Pet Dental Health Month. Did you know that 70% of felines
over 20 months of age have some degree of dental disease? Have you looked inside your cat's mouth
lately, or even better, had a veterinarian perform a dental exam? What you find may surprise you. Even
more surprising are some of the negative health consequences that may result from dental disease.
At the heart of dental disease are millions of bacteria. These bacteria thrive in our mouths, as well as our
cats' mouths. Bacteria, along with food particles and mouth cells, form a sticky film on the teeth and under
the gum line called dental plaque. This film is what we feel on our teeth after we drink a glass of orange
juice or eat a creamy pasta dinner. Of course, people brush their own teeth every day and rinse their
mouths with many special products to help remove this dental plaque. Most cats do not receive this same
attention to oral care, which may result in poor oral hygiene, starting with bad breath, also known as
halitosis.
Dental plaque does more than just cause bad breath. The bacteria that cause halitosis are living
organisms. Not only do they feed and multiply, they produce waste products and toxins which are irritating
to the gums, resulting in gingivitis.
The bacteria in dental plaque are also very busy "carpenters," as they continuously build "structures" on the
teeth. They have the ability to absorb the calcium normally present in saliva and form dental calculus. Also
known as tartar, this hard "structure" is made of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate, and is what the
dental hygienist scrapes off of people's teeth. This tartar provides an excellent location for more bacterial
plaque to congregate and thrive, causing increasingly severe gingivitis, or inflammation of the gums.
Gingivitis alters the pH of the mouth, setting up the perfect environment for more harmful, pathogenic
bacteria to flourish, especially under the swollen gums. These bacteria go in between the teeth and gums to
attack the periodontal ligament, the structure that holds the teeth into the supporting jawbone. Even parts of
the jawbone can become infected, resulting in mouth pain, anorexia, tooth loss, and even jaw fracture.
Because the mouth and gums have a good blood supply, the pathogenic bacteria have the perfect window
of opportunity to "hop" a ride into the blood stream, eventually causing bacterial infection of the heart valves,
the kidneys, and even the joints.
Tooth brushing is an effective way to prevent some plaque buildup, if performed consistently. However,
brushing a cat's teeth on a regular basis can be a very difficult task. Additionally, most of us can only
effectively brush the surfaces of the teeth we can see. The inside, or lingual surfaces of the teeth, and the
hard to reach premolars and molars are often neglected. The result is often that the teeth we see everyday
look pretty good to the naked eye, but the hidden surfaces and hidden teeth are ridden with plaque, tartar,
and infection.
Once a cat's teeth have accumulated even the smallest amount of tartar, the only way to treat the problem is
through a professional veterinary dental prophylaxis. This procedure requires general anesthesia to enable
ultrasonic scaling of all surfaces of the teeth. The teeth are then polished, to retard the formation of more
dental plaque.
However, dental plaque begins forming within hours after a professional dental cleaning. If proper
prevention methods are not taken, the plaque can begin to calcify and harden within 72 hours.
P.O. BOX 2684, HARLINGEN TX 78551
(956) 428-8046
WWW.TICA.ORG
[email protected]
The World’s Largest Genetic Registry of Pedigreed Cats
Feline Oral Health
Does this problem sound hopeless? Do not give up hope. The great news is that nutrition can play a
positive preventive role. Believe it or not, the kind of food we feed our cats can make a major beneficial
impact on dental health, where brushing often falls short. Many commercial cat foods offer one or more of
the following important oral hygiene benefits: mechanical, chemical, and antibacterial plaque and tartar
reduction.
MECHANICAL
Even a simple choice, like feeding a dry diet, instead of a canned or raw food diet, can make a key
difference in oral hygiene. Professional research studies have shown that dry diets lead to less plaque and
tartar accumulation than soft and moist diets. The kibbles in dry diets have a light abrasive effect, which
mimics mechanical brushing.
Not all kibbles are created equally, though. The shape, size, and texture of a kibble can enhance or reduce
its mechanical brushing effect. Larger kibbles that go through a special extrusion process encourage more
chewing than regular diets, and allow the teeth to sink further into each kibble. The further a tooth sinks into
a kibble before it breaks, the greater the dental benefits.
CHEMICAL
Of course, not all cats are going to chew the kibbles with all of their teeth equally. An additive tartarreducing effect is gained by adding sodium tripolyphosphate, or STPP. STPP is a mineral salt, made up of
sodium and phosphorus, two nutrients the animal body needs for proper functioning.
When included in a diet in the form of STPP, these nutrients are able to effectively bind, or chelate, the
calcium from the saliva that helps to form dental tartar. When included on the outside of a kibble, the
calcium chelation is achieved in the entire mouth, not just the chewing surfaces, which greatly reduces tartar
formation.
ANTIBACTERIAL
Some nutrients have a powerful plaque reducing effect by inhibiting the growth of bacteria on the tooth
surface. One such nutrient is green tea extract, whose powerful polyphenols have long been recognized for
their antioxidant role.
Not only are decaffeinated green tea polyphenols powerful antioxidants, but they have been found to
possess antibacterial properties in the mouth, because they decrease the bacteria's ability to adhere to the
tooth surfaces. With fewer bacteria, there will be less halitosis, gingivitis, and tartar formation, resulting in a
healthier mouth.
P.O. BOX 2684, HARLINGEN TX 78551
(956) 428-8046
WWW.TICA.ORG
[email protected]