A tooth cleaning is an unusual thing for cats. But if your animal allows do this, a cleaning may become a wonderful measure to prevent or reduce tooth-stones.
Most tooth diseases of cats originate from tooth stones; caries that people often suffer from is rarely met in cats. Mostly, tooth stones are deposited on the upper and lower canines, small molars and first upper molars.
Tooth stones form during growth of bacteria on the surface of teeth, accumulation of pieces of food and salt sedimentation (calcium hydroxyapatite mostly) that saliva contains. If a cat uses its' teeth actively, only a mere layer of tooth stone forms on the teeth surface of due to their friction. Therefore cats that hunt and eat preys (mice and birds) have little tooth stones. The same is true for teeth of cats that are fed with large pieces of meat. If a cat is fed with soft food than it uses its' teeth not intensively and so they accumulate tooth stones. At first, tooth stones accumulate in places where friction is smallest, that is where tooth takes root. Rough surface gathers more and more bacteria and pieces of food that irritate gum and finally provoking inflammation (so-called gingivitis). At that bright-rose or red band is formed on gums around teeth. At the beginning tooth stones look like yellow-green thin rim, but with time it may reach great such an amount that if not moved away its' mass exceeds the tooth itself. As tooth stones accumulate, gingivitis aggravates. Gums come off teeth and bacteria obtain an access to teeth roots. Ultimately a wide infection may develop, loosening of teeth and even abscess developing. Such a disease, called peritonitis occurs quite often in cats.
Inflammation may cause intensive salivation, and in old cats often "icicles" of saliva hang down from the mouth and wetting hair on their chest. Cat mouth often smells badly (halitosis). Loosen teeth hurt and a cat eats very carefully, on one side of mouth often; sometimes cat declines to eat at all. It may scratch or rub its' mouth with paw. To move away the tooth stone one must break it with calipers, scraper or ultrasound cleaner under total anesthesia. No doubt, it's better not to allow its' accumulation. The best means is change in a diet or use of special plastic chewing gums, though some holders prefer to clean cat teeth routinely.
It's better to use a children toothbrush. Wet it slightly and dip in toothpowder. Cats don't like toothpastes because their taste and presence of foamy cleaning substances. One may use baking soda and peroxide as well.
Set the cat on the table (it'll be better to make it sit down) and hold it by the back of its' neck and your helper will hold it by its' legs. With a slight effort pass the toothbrush top-down and left-and-right. Clean upper and lower teeth from the front and back, paying special attention to places where teeth close on with gums. If gums begin to bleed stop the procedure. If a cat resigns toothbrush one may clean its' teeth with finger, wrapped up with soft textile. Watch your cat doesn't bite you.
To escape second accumulation of tooth stone one should clean cat teeth every day. However in practice weekly cleaning is quite enough.
Translated by Tatiana Karpova (Moscow)
(MSU, Biology faculture, Dep. zoology and ecology).