Kitten Care: Oral Hygiene and Dental Health Tips

 Adopting a new kitten can be exciting; but it also comes with great responsibility. Most people know how kittens need to meet their basic needs like food, drink, and shelter, but there are many more things to consider.

Therefore, before you decide to bring a kitten home, you need to know what it takes to give them the best for a healthy and happy life.

Factors such as routine health checks, vaccinations, screening for internal & external parasites, and neutering are vital to a pet's overall health. But did you know that your kitten's dental health is just as important?

More than half of cats over the age of three suffer from dental disease. Cats have the same dental issues as dogs, but feline dental care is probably one of the least known.

In this article, where we try to convey the most detailed and accurate information about kitten teeth care and dental health; Many questions are answered, such as the normal structure of the kitten's oral cavity, a common dental condition and how it is treated, how their owners can take care of their kitten's teeth at home.

 

Kitten Care: Oral Hygiene and Dental Health Tips: Kitten teeth and teething

Like humans, cats have two basic teeth structures throughout their lives. These develop in two different ways as milk teeth and later permanent adult teeth. Kittens born naturally without teeth begin to erupt their first teeth about three weeks after birth.

By the time they are four months old, all 26 primary teeth should be visible. By the time the kittens are six to seven months old, all 30 permanent teeth should have erupted. Adult teeth develop from tooth buds in the upper and lower jaws before they emerge from the gums.

Things can get a little complicated after the adult teeth begin to put pressure on the roots of the milk teeth as they develop. The teething process usually starts at 11 to 12 weeks of age. During this time, kittens may drool, have trouble eating, and may be a little irritable.

Most cats will have the urge to chew on something in the process. This includes your hand and fingers! However, a characteristic breath odor is also a condition that can be encountered frequently during the teething process. This odor is quite normal and will go away after the teething process is over. If not, you may need to contact your veterinarian.

Keep in mind!

When your kitten is teething, try to guide her to harmless objects such as chew toys to relieve her urge to chew. Don't let them chew on things that could damage their teeth.

 Loss of milk teeth

When the kitten is about six to seven months old, their adult teeth should now begin to develop. In order for adult teeth to grow, milk teeth must fall out on their own. Sometimes the baby tooth does not fall out and continues to cover the space where the adult (permanent) tooth should come out.

When milk teeth do not fall out to make room for permanent teeth, they are called retained milk teeth, and each must be surgically removed. While the primary teeth and permanent teeth try to occupy the same space, these double rows of teeth overload the mouth, and food becomes trapped between the teeth.

Trapped pieces of food can cause periodontal disease of the gums. In addition, the presence of double teeth also means that there will be double roots.

This will prevent the normal development of the tooth socket and eventually erode the gingival support around the adult tooth. Retained primary teeth should be surgically extracted in order not to cause an advanced dental problem.

Kitten dental care and prevention of possible dental problems at home

Toothpaste and toothbrush

If you start brushing your kitten's teeth at an early age, you can easily perform routine dental care in adulthood. Of course, first, you need to buy suitable toothpaste and toothbrush for cats.

Therefore, you cannot use your own toothpaste on your cat. The toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors that may appeal to cats, including chicken and tuna.

Try to brush her teeth at least three times a week by finding toothpaste with the flavor your kitten likes. You can brush your teeth more often if they allow it.

 Dental wipes and dental pads

When kittens start to grow, they may not be able to tolerate dental care with a toothbrush. Some cats, especially those with soft gums, do not tolerate brushing; but they are more apt to disinfect their teeth with dental wipes or pads.

Dental wipes and pads are great for removing plaque deposits on the tooth surface. They won't help remove food particles from the gum socket, but they're best if your cat doesn't allow you to brush their teeth.

Best Products for Kittens

Other dental care methods and treatments

Other treatments do not replace brushing; however, kittens with permanent teeth can benefit from a convenient chew stick every day. Chew sticks can significantly reduce the formation of plaque and tartar on the chewing bones and teeth for cats by up to 69%.

Starting dental care at home early with your kitten will help prevent periodontal diseases your cat may encounter when he grows up.

You can take your cat to your veterinarian for professional dental cleaning and care throughout the year. But if you include a dental care routine for your kitten in your daily schedule, you will never have to go to the vet for dental care and cleaning.

These products are disposable products that can be used daily. So use a dental wipe or pad only once to clean your cat's teeth and throw it away.

Kitten Teeth And Care With Questions And Answers

When do kitten teeth come out?

Kittens begin to erupt their first teeth about three weeks after birth.

Do kittens get a fever when teething?

Kittens may experience fever, loss of appetite, and bad breath when teething or changing teeth (temporary teeth falling out and replacing with permanent teeth). Sometimes, some kittens may experience light bleeding during the teething period.

Do kittens' teeth itch?

Kitten's teeth itch. This is a typical situation because kittens may have itchy teeth when they are teething or during tooth replacement (temporary teeth fall out, and permanent teeth erupt in their place).

When does kitten tooth itch go away?

Tooth itch in kittens can last from 8 months to 1 year of age. After the permanent teeth, that is, the adult teeth, of the kittens who are 1 year old at the latest, the tooth itch will end.

Do kittens' teeth fall out?

The kittens' teeth fall out during the tooth change period. During this period, the first teeth, namely milk teeth, fall out, and permanent teeth emerge. Kittens will have their permanent teeth, as well as their incisors, erupted 12 to 16 weeks after birth.

At what age do kittens shed their teeth?

Kittens begin to shed when they are 3 to 4 months old.

Do kittens need teeth cleaning?

The earlier you start the dental care routine for cats, the more comfortable you will be in the next process. Therefore, you can brush the kittens' teeth at regular intervals with the help of toothpaste and a toothbrush produced specifically for cats.

Should I buy the teether toy?

While your kitten is teething, he will put many objects in her mouth and chew due to tooth itch. As a result, some things may harm your kitten's mouth, while others may swallow them. To prevent this, you can buy teething toys and have an easier and more comfortable teething process with your kitten.