Cat teeth: tartar, tooth resorption and dental cleaning
Most adult cats have some problem in their mouth, and hardly any of them let on. A cat with dental pain keeps eating until they simply cannot. Knowing how to look in the mouth and care for their teeth is one of the things that most lengthens and improves their life.
A very common and very silent problem
Periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums and the tissue that holds the teeth in place, affects the great majority of cats from three years old to a greater or lesser degree. It starts with bacterial plaque, which within a few days mineralises and forms tartar, the yellowish or brown layer on the tooth. Tartar itself is not the problem: the problem is the infection that advances below the gumline, destroys the bone and eventually loosens the tooth. On top of that, pain and chronic infection can affect the rest of the body. Cats hide dental pain very well: many keep eating dry food even with a ruined mouth, swallowing it without chewing.
Tooth resorption: very feline
There is a problem almost exclusive to cats: tooth resorption, formerly called odontoclastic resorptive lesions or FORL. The cat's own cells start to destroy the tooth from the inside or from the root, for reasons that are not well understood. It is estimated to affect a very significant proportion of adult cats, rising with age. These lesions are very painful once they reach the crown and are exposed. Sometimes they look like a small red hole in the tooth near the gum, covered by inflamed gum, but many can only be seen on a dental X-ray. If you touch the area with a cotton bud, the cat may chatter its jaw: that is pain.
Chronic gingivostomatitis
This is a very intense, painful inflammation of the gums and the back of the mouth, which turns bright red, ulcerated and bleeds easily. The cat drools, has bad breath, approaches food hungrily and backs away when they taste it, stops grooming and loses weight. It is considered an exaggerated immune response to plaque, and in many cases it is linked to feline calicivirus. The most effective treatment, drastic as it sounds, is extraction of almost all or all of the teeth, which resolves or greatly improves most cases. Cats eat perfectly well without teeth, dry food included.
Signs of mouth pain
Persistent bad breath, drooling, blood in the saliva or on toys, chewing on one side, dropping food, eating more slowly, preferring wet food and refusing dry, swallowing without chewing, rubbing the face or mouth with a paw, mood changes, no longer grooming or an unkempt coat, and jaw chattering. In some cats, the only thing you notice is that they eat less or hide more. If you notice any of these, the mouth should be the first thing the vet looks at. Gently lift the lip yourself now and then: healthy gums are pink, with no red line along the tooth.
A dental clean is done under anaesthetic
A proper dental clean is not just removing the visible tartar: it means cleaning below the gumline, probing each tooth, taking intraoral dental X-rays to see the roots and resorptions, extracting teeth that cannot be saved and polishing. All of this can only be done under general anaesthetic with the cat intubated. The "anaesthesia-free cleans" offered in some places only scrape the visible part, do not treat the disease below the gum, give a false impression of a healthy mouth and can be stressful and dangerous; veterinary dental associations do not recommend them. The anaesthetic risk in a cat properly assessed beforehand is low, and much lower than the risk of living with chronic pain.
What it costs
As a guide in Spain in 2026: a dental clean under anaesthetic with X-rays and pre-anaesthetic blood tests, without extractions, usually costs between 180 and 400 €. With extractions, the price rises depending on number and difficulty, and the total commonly ranges from 300 to 900 €. Full-mouth extraction for chronic gingivostomatitis, with X-rays and hospitalisation, can run from 800 to 1,800 €. Clinics with specialist veterinary dentistry tend to be somewhat more expensive but more thorough. Ask beforehand what is included: a clean without X-rays is cheaper, but misses many resorptions.
Brushing: what works best at home
Brushing the teeth is the most effective preventive measure, and although it may seem impossible with a cat, many accept it if you start gradually. Use a toothpaste made for animals, which is safe if swallowed and usually tastes of chicken or fish; never human toothpaste, which contains fluoride and sometimes xylitol, neither of which should be swallowed. Start by letting them lick the paste off your finger, then rub the outside of the teeth with your finger or a piece of gauze, and then with a small brush or finger brush. You do not need to open the mouth: the outer surface of the teeth is enough, especially the back ones. Daily is ideal; three times a week is acceptable.
If they will not let you brush
There are alternatives that are less effective than brushing, but better than nothing. Some dental diets with large kibbles and a fibrous texture clean mechanically as the cat chews; look for those with the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) seal, which certifies they have been shown to reduce plaque or tartar. There are dental treats, gels and water additives with variable results. Chew toys and enzymatic gels can help a little. None replaces a clean once there is disease, but they do delay its return afterwards. And do not give bones to clean the teeth: they can break teeth or cause blockages.
Check-ups and kittens
The vet should check the mouth at every visit, at least once a year, and every six months in older cats. Between four and six months, kittens replace their baby teeth with adult ones; it is normal for the mouth to be a bit sensitive, to find the odd baby tooth on the floor or for the gums to look a little red. If a baby tooth does not fall out and the adult one comes through beside it, it needs to be extracted. Getting a kitten used to having their mouth touched and their teeth rubbed from an early age is the best investment: an adult cat that accepts brushing saves many cleans and extractions.
Almost every adult cat has some dental problem and hardly any of them show it. Look in the mouth, pay attention to bad breath, drooling and changes in eating, brush with animal toothpaste if they let you, and when needed, a dental under anaesthetic with X-rays: without anaesthetic it is not a real clean.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.