Dental Questions

Status
Not open for further replies.
Jessica & Boo Radley

Jessica & Boo Radley

Active Member
I keep seeing everyone refer to Dentals for their cats. I get that if there was some sort of infection, bg would be affected. But I have a sense that there's another reason why everyone's "doin' it".


catwagon.gif


We sure don't want to miss jumping on the bandwagon if it's important. Please let us know all about what we're missing because I am clueless when it comes to cats teeth (except for that Boo's are generally embedded in my arms a few times per day), what I should be looking for, doing, etc!
 
Cats can have poor teeth and gums just like humans. Poor oral health can affect overall health, so cats should be checked as part of their annual exams and then if there are issues, a dental is scheduled.....
 
Just like you see a dentist for routine exam and cleaning. So too should cats. Not necessarily as often as humans, but it should become part of the routine care and maintenance.

My cats, have had to had teeth removed due to FORLS (resorption issues), emergency dental treatment due to a broken tooth below the gumline.

One way to help prevent the need for actual dentals due to tartar and tooth decay is if you start a routine of brushing the cats teeth. Yes, this is something that can be done and something that I try to do on a regular basis.
 
If your cat will let you, you can check the teeth and gums yourself. Brown deposits on the teeth are likely tartar. The gums should be a nice healthy pink color, not bright red. Red gums indicate a dental problem like gingivitis or FORL. The next time you bring the cat to the vet, ask the vet to check the teeth and gums. Some vets may not be very familiar with dental health and may refer you to a dental specialist for a more thorough check up and treatment or cleaning.
 
Like you, before FD we never thought about taking our kitties to the vet's for "dentals" Once we got on here and realized a lot of people were doing it, we looked into it. We had to save up our pennies for a good long while and finally made the appointment. Mocha ended up needing 8 teeth extractions due to FORL's (like kitty cavities?) But they are painful .. She was actually missing a tooth as well and the vet assumed it had fallen out due to an FORL ..

Kitties hide their pain well and mocha never showed any sign of mouth pain .. Twix has never had a dental done though ...
 
Thanks everyone for all the advice. I joke around a lot about how much Boo bites me... With all of that mouth opening, you'd think I could get a good look right??!!!

And really, what's the worse thing that could happen?
 
PeterDevonMocha said:
Like you, before FD we never thought about taking our kitties to the vet's for "dentals" Once we got on here and realized a lot of people were doing it, we looked into it. We had to save up our pennies for a good long while and finally made the appointment. Mocha ended up needing 8 teeth extractions due to FORL's (like kitty cavities?) But they are painful .. She was actually missing a tooth as well and the vet assumed it had fallen out due to an FORL ..

Kitties hide their pain well and mocha never showed any sign of mouth pain .. Twix has never had a dental done though ...
Click to expand...


The cause of FORLs is unknown, but studies have shown that Asiatic breeds (especially Abyssinian, Siamese, and Persian) are genetically predisposed to them. Bandit has had to have all his teeth extracted except the bottom canines. Since Siamese cats also seem to be predisposed to diabetes, it's important to get them taken care of or it will keep their blood sugar high.

My Maine Coon also needed a dental and extractions, but that was because of kitty cavities and gingavitis, not FORLs. I was very uneducated about feline dental health for most of Gabby's life (I was just a teenager when I got her), so I did not maintain her teeth properly, through brushing and regular cleanings. I thought her teeth would be fine because my vet in the 90s told me that as long as she ate only dry food she would have clean teeth (what a joke that turned out to be!). Her bad mouth was completely my fault, unlike Bandit's. It figured that by the time I got Bandit, I knew what I had to do to keep his teeth healthy, but then he has all these unpreventable FORLs anyway. :roll:
 
I was going to post dental questions but I might as well post on here....any idea WHY dental issues can cause high blood sugar? Also, what would a rough estimate be for a dental or procedures recommended from the dental (teeth extractions etc.)...Chocolate seems to have pretty bad breath it's not repulsive but it's strong. Would ya'll recommend taking her for a dental exam if shes 15+ and a high stress kitty?
 
Dental problems can cause bacteria growth which can lead to infections which in turn can affect blood glucose levels.

Dental costs vary depending on where you live and what procedures are involved, if you use a dental specialist or just the regular vet, even if it's a small vet office or a big hospital. Call a few places and ask for what a basic dental visit costs and how much a cleaning or extration will cost. February is Pet Dental Health Month and many vet offices offer discounted dental services. A related link, PetDental.com is sponsored by Hills Pet and of course promotes their dry junky T/D food for dental health :roll:

I paid around $300 or so for my cat's dentals which included extractions and a thorough cleaning. It was done by a dental specialist at a big full service hospital. There were some miscellaneous fees added in, like bg monitoring (with a OTU meter, too) and pain meds. And that was just the actual dental procedure. I had to bring my cat in a few days ahead of time for a consult so the dental vet could examine my cat's mouth, take x rays, and determine what will need to be done.
 
christina52388 said:
I was going to post dental questions but I might as well post on here....any idea WHY dental issues can cause high blood sugar? Also, what would a rough estimate be for a dental or procedures recommended from the dental (teeth extractions etc.)...Chocolate seems to have pretty bad breath it's not repulsive but it's strong. Would ya'll recommend taking her for a dental exam if shes 15+ and a high stress kitty?
Click to expand...

As was mentioned, cost can vary greatly between different veterinary practices. One thing to ask about, particularly with the cheaper options but good to ask for ALL of them, is what sort of anesthetic monitoring protocol they use and if IV fluids are included. At the clinic I work at all dentals are on IV fluids and there is constant heart rate, blood pressure, resp rate, exhaled CO2 levels, blood oxygen levels, and ECG monitoring for the entire procedure, while I know of other practices in the area that doesn't automatically include fluids and/or doesn't have continuous monitoring of anything other than heart and resp rate. Extraction costs are usually done via how long it takes and while sometimes the vet can determine by looking at the mouth if some teeth need to be removed, usually you can't be sure until you x-ray them, so any estimate for a 15 year old kitty should definitely include radiographs. And I would say a 15+ kitty should definitely have a dental exam - imagine how much your mouth could hurt as a senior if you'd never brushed your teeth or been to a dentist in your life. If she's high stress, having her sedated for a full oral exam would probably be a good idea since it'd be more thorough and a lot easier on her.

As for why dental issues can cause high bg - there's a couple reasons I can think of off the top of my head. One is just the constant infection from gingivitis or periodontal disease. Infections wreak havoc on bg. The second is pain, and the constant physiological stress this puts on the body. We all know how much stress can affect our kitties bg, and dental disease hurts even though cats don't show it much. I recommend ALL animals get their teeth checked and cleaned at least every couple years - my Tizer, who's almost 11, gets his teeth cleaned yearly and, sadly, usually needs at least 1 extraction because he's prone to FORLs. My Wigwam, who's 2 and a half, hasn't had a cleaning yet but she also happens to have no tartar or gingivitis. She gets her mouth checked every year, and as soon as there's tartar, gingivitis, or evidence of a FORL she'll be getting a cleaning.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top