What To Know About Cat Dental Care

Cats are prone to a variety of dental issues that can cause pain, reduced appetite, and tooth loss.¹ Treating dental diseases can be costly, but MetLife Pet Insurance offers various dental coverage options through our standard policies and Preventive Care add-on plan that can help offset some of these expenses.

Learning about dental disease in cats and how to prevent it is a must for every cat owner. Here’s what you need to know about cat dental care, so you can keep your cat’s mouth and teeth healthy and pain-free.

The Importance of Dental Care for Cats

You probably visit a dentist once or twice a year, and if you have kids, you likely take them just as often. Well, our furry family members need dental care, too, so they don’t end up in pain.

It’s good to remember that preventive care can be considerably less expensive than treatment for a disease. Take Violet, an 8-year-old cat, for example. She was diagnosed with periodontal disease and needed a tooth extraction. The vet bill came to $2,800, but a MetLife Pet policy reimbursed her owners for $2,100.² Meanwhile, the average routine cat dental cleaning cost is around $300.³

More than half of cats over the age of 4 have dental disease.¹ But you might not consider your cat’s dental health until you or your vet notice something’s wrong — in which case, you might have to seek costly treatment.

Signs of dental disease in cats

If your cat has any of the following issues in or around their mouth, consider a checkup sooner rather than later:⁴

• Bleeding
• Teeth that are broken or loose
• Bad breath
• Drooling
• Dropping food when eating
• Abnormal chewing
• Refusal to eat or reduced appetite
• Swelling
• Extra teeth
• Irritable behavior (that may indicate pain)

Any of these symptoms might indicate your cat has a dental issue that needs treatment. The good news? Most cat dental diseases are preventable — and treatable.¹ Knowing what to look for can help your cat feel better sooner.

Common Cat Dental Diseases

There are several dental health conditions that are common in all types of cats and are often caused by bacteria, plaque, and tartar buildup on their teeth.^1,5 Treatment for these diseases will vary, but can include X-rays, professional teeth cleanings, antibiotics, tooth extraction, and other procedures.

Gingivitis

Gingivitis occurs when a cat’s gums become inflamed, typically the result of bacteria from plaque buildup on the teeth. Gingivitis can also be caused by other underlying diseases, like feline leukemia virus, calicivirus, and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).¹

Periodontal disease

Periodontal disease, or periodontitis, occurs when gingivitis gets out of control. It’s a gum disease that starts out with plaque and tartar building up on a tooth and eventually spreads below the gumline. It can result in loss of teeth. After a certain point, periodontal disease can’t be reversed.¹

Tooth resorption

Tooth resorption occurs when a cat’s tooth progressively erodes and deteriorates. This can be a slow process and results in “holes” in the affected teeth, which can be very painful for cats.⁵

Stomatitis

Stomatitis occurs when the tissues around the oral cavity become severely inflamed. Because stomatitis is an extremely painful disease, cats might not want to eat and may show an aversion to having their teeth examined.⁵

How To Prioritize Cat Dental Care

Prevention methods, like regular brushing, can be effective in avoiding dental issues in cats.⁴ Here are some things you can do to help keep your furry friend’s teeth clean.

Brush your cat’s teeth

Begin brushing your cat’s teeth as early as possible (ideally, as a kitten), and do it as often as possible to get them used to it. Brush your cat’s teeth with a cat toothbrush or a child’s toothbrush — something with soft bristles — and pet toothpaste. Never use baking soda or human toothpaste, as these could hurt your cat if swallowed.⁷

To successfully brush your cat’s teeth, lift their lips and gently brush the outside surfaces of their teeth and gums. Make a point to brush the canines and the large cheek teeth, because those build up plaque and tartar more quickly than other areas of the mouth.⁷

Brushing your cat’s teeth also provides the perfect opportunity for you to check for any warning signs of disease.

Regularly visit your vet

Staying on top of routine veterinary checkups — ideally, once a year — with a focus on evaluating your cat’s oral health is important to ward off any potential problems.⁴

Your vet can provide a professional teeth cleaning that’s more effective than brushing at home. They generally use anesthesia to ensure a thorough examination of each tooth, then perform tooth scaling to remove tartar.⁸

Your vet can also recommend products geared toward nutrition and oral health, such as cat food, treats, and water additives that can reduce tartar accumulation.⁵

Consider cat insurance

A cat insurance plan with a preventive care add-on could help reimburse⁹ you for the costs of teeth cleaning and other treatments for dental diseases, ensuring your cat is protected every step of the way.

When Jeremiah, a kitten from Massachusetts, had surgery to treat his ulcerative stomatitis, the cost was $2,160, but a MetLife Pet Insurance plan covered $1,950. Jeremiah’s pet parents could focus on his recovery instead of expensive vet bills.² If you’re considering insurance coverage in case your cat faces an unexpected health issue, see if pet insurance is worth it.

Pet Insurance Can Help You Cover Dental Care for Cats

Cat dental care is important because a cat’s oral health can be directly linked to other health problems.⁴ Dental conditions are common in cats, and knowing how to prevent them and identify the signs can help get your cat the care they need as quickly as possible.

Teeth cleanings, extractions, and other dental procedures can add up quickly. With MetLife Pet Insurance, your cat can get customized coverage for both the routine stuff and unexpected costs that may arise. Get a free quote today.