D is for Dental?

What is a dental?

You have advanced gingival disease Mr Crocodile.

This is a very good question.  "Dental" has been used as a catch-all term for anything from the groomer brushing your kitty's teeth, to a quick and dirty tartar removal, to full out oral surgery and endodontics (root canals et cetera).


What is usually meant by "dental" is an oral prophylactic cleaning.  This should include an anesthetic cleaning using an ultrasonic scaler and/or hand scaling tools to remove dental calculus followed by a polishing to help smooth out any defects in the tooth enamel.  Scaling should clean both the crown of the tooth (above the gumline) and below the gumline (periodontal scaling).


After the cleaning, the mouth should be "mapped".  This is when we

Basic feline (and canine) dental map template

systematically evaluate the health of the mouth tooth by tooth, noting wear, gum recession, cavities, missing and extra teeth, rotated or impacted teeth--et cetera.  Then the mouth is radiographed (x rayed) so we can evaluate the teeth roots--teeth can look perfect above the

Pathologic jaw fracture

gum, but below are abscessed through the jaw--this can even lead to jaw fractures or holes into the sinuses!

Then your veterinarian will evaluate all this information and make any further recommendations.  What we want is to find a clean and healthy mouth without any gingival, crown or root disease.  But if further disease is found we talk to you and may proceed with further treatments--or recommend seeing a Veterinary Dentist.

When you are talking to your veterinarian about having your cat's teeth cleaned, make sure you know what their practice includes in their cleaning and evaluation.  A cleaning should be under anesthetic to allow for a complete and safe cleaning and evaluation (both visual and radiographically/xrays).  Anesthesia should include a endotracheal tube (this is a tube placed into your cat's windpipe allowing for both the delivery of gas anesthesia and to protect his precious airway and lungs from being swamped by the fluid and debris loosened when the teeth are appropriately cleaned.  The cleaning itself should be done by a trained and licensed veterinary technician and in most states it is illegal for unlicensed veterinary assistant to perform this service.  Anesthesia should be monitored with at least an esophageal stethoscope--but we feel like it should include IV fluid therapy and support, blood pressure and blood oxygenation measurements.  The health of the teeth and diagnosis and any further surgeries are required to be done by a licensed veterinarian. 

Many groomers and some veterianrians have --for years--offered "dentals" which are either simple tooth brushing (harmless but a misrepresentation of the service) or worse, scaling the tartar off the teeth when your kitty is fully awake and conscious also known as a non-anesthetic dental cleaning.  Why is this bad? you say.  I don't like the notion of my cat under anesthesia.  Balanced anesthesia is very safe and allows for a complete and stress free complete exam and cleaning. 

Removing all the disease of tartar and plaque from teeth will definitely make your kitty healthier.  It will make her teeth stronger and last longer.  It will remove the underlying source of disease a dirty mouth provides. 

Clean teeth = happy cat!

Talk to your veterinarian about your furry feline friend's teeth.  If it is time for an dental cleaning, make the plan, make the appointment, and make her feel better!