Fashionable cats might seem to be a far cry from their saber-toothed cousins… till they open their mouths, that’s. Beneath that cute and cuddly exterior, your cat has enamel like razors, similar to their fierce feline ancestors. These “obligate carnivores” have been born to hunt and trusted their enamel to seize, immobilize, and shred their prey.
Your candy housecat is extra prone to spend their time stalking stuffed toys and devouring kibble than tearing into powerful prey. Nonetheless, your cat’s enamel are simply as important to their anatomy as they have been for his or her ancestors.
Cat Tooth Anatomy: A Fundamental Overview
Your cat’s enamel are made up of a number of distinct elements. The portion of the tooth above the gum line known as the crown. It’s coated in a tough, protecting coating referred to as enamel that protects the dentin—the softer a part of the tooth beneath.
The portion of the tooth under the gum line known as the foundation. It’s coated in a skinny layer of dental tissue known as cementum. Contained in the tooth, the portion known as the pulp is made up of nerves and blood vessels.
How Many Tooth Do Cats Have?
The variety of enamel in your cat’s mouth relies on their age, in line with Dr. Bruce Kornreich, diplomate of the American Faculty of Veterinary Inside Medication and director of the Cornell Feline Well being Heart.
Kittens are born with out enamel. Inside two to 4 weeks, their deciduous enamel—also called milk enamel—begin rising. Inside eight weeks, kittens sometimes have round 26 enamel. And by the point they’re 6 months outdated, kittens sometimes have a full set of 30 “grownup” or everlasting enamel: 12 incisors, 10 premolars, 4 molars, and 4 canine enamel.
Kornreich notes that each one grownup cats, no matter breed, have the identical variety of enamel.
Do Cats Lose Child Tooth?
Sure, kittens do lose their enamel. Deciduous enamel begin falling out round 3 months of age however kittens have such tiny enamel, you might by no means even discover that they’re lacking or have been changed with grownup enamel.
Do Cats Lose Tooth?
Whereas all kittens lose their child enamel, Kornreich notes that it’s potential for grownup cats to lose enamel, too.
Dental illness is among the most typical causes cats might lose their enamel.
“Periodontal illness begins with gingivitis or accumulation of plaque on the enamel, which offers an surroundings the place micro organism can develop,” says Kornreich. “It causes an inflammatory response within the tissue across the tooth… and compromises the supporting constructions that connect the tooth root to the bone, resulting in tooth loss.”
Trauma from automotive accidents, falls, and fights may trigger cats to interrupt or lose their enamel.
5 Shocking Cat Tooth Info
Totally different enamel have completely different jobs.
Cats have 4 completely different sorts of enamel: incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. And most forms of cat enamel have completely different jobs, in line with Kornreich.
Cats use their canine enamel to puncture pores and skin and seize their prey. They tear off items of prey and grind them up with their premolars and molars. And cats rely on their incisors—the small enamel between the canine enamel—to select issues up and assist with grooming.
Toothless cats can nonetheless eat.
Within the wild, cats rely on their enamel to seize and devour prey. Shedding these enamel can put a wild cat’s life in danger since they might simply starve. However domesticated cats with no enamel can nonetheless gobble up bowls of kibble at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“Domesticated cats don’t should catch their cat meals,” Kornreich says. “Domesticated cats, even with full mouth extractions, can nonetheless eat; they might develop a choice for moist meals, however, in some instances, they’ll even eat dry meals.”
Cats don’t get cavities.
The time period “cavities” conjures up black holes that should be drilled out and crammed; cats don’t get these sorts of cavities.
“Cats don’t have horizontal tooth surfaces, in order that they don’t develop dental cavities in the identical manner that folks do,” Kornreich explains.
Cats can get feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORLs). These painful “cat cavities” happen at or under the gum line and are the results of tooth resorption, not decay. The Canadian Veterinary Medical Affiliation reviews that FORLs are on the rise, maybe as a result of components corresponding to food plan, power illness, irritation, or genetics (1). Typically the lesions go undetected, however they’ll trigger signs like ache, extra salivation, tooth loss, and bother consuming.
Cats can get different dental ailments.
Cats are inclined to quite a lot of dental ailments. In truth, research present that as much as 90 p.c of cats over 4 years outdated undergo from dental situations, together with (2):
- Gingivitis: crimson, swollen, and painful gums
- Periodontitis: irreversible swelling of the gums and weakening of the jawbone, which might result in tooth loss
- Tooth resorption: the breakdown of the tooth construction, additionally a reason for tooth loss.
Every of those ailments may cause points starting from ache and discomfort to urge for food loss and an infection.
You may not discover dental illness.
Some cats are fairly stoic and may conceal the indicators of dental illness or ache. Be looking out for signs corresponding to extreme drool, unhealthy breath, blood-tinged saliva, choice for moist meals, or lack of urge for food.
“The largest shock is when individuals notice how superior their cat’s oral illness is,” Kornreich provides. “In case you’re not on the lookout for signs, they are often delicate and you might not discover something is even unsuitable.”
Taking Care of Cat Tooth: Suggestions and Recommendation
Good oral well being begins with food plan. A number of research have discovered that cats fed dry meals diets had higher oral well being than these fed moist meals (3).
Along with feeding your cat an entire and balanced food plan, Kornreich recommends establishing a dental care routine at house. Sure, meaning brushing your cat’s enamel each day.
“Most cats will tolerate having their enamel brushed if you happen to begin after they’re younger and get them used to it,” he provides.
Skip the tube of toothpaste in your drugs cupboard, which might comprise substances that may very well be dangerous to cats. As a substitute, select merchandise which were authorized for cats (the Veterinary Oral Well being Council seal is an effective indicator {that a} toothpaste is protected in your cat). There are even toothbrushes designed for cats.
There are additionally various dental chews available on the market. One research discovered that cats who obtained dental chews along with their dry meals food plan for 4 weeks had much less plaque and tartar on their enamel and fewer extreme gingivitis than cats who have been fed dry meals alone (4).
Cats ought to obtain common oral exams throughout their veterinary visits. The American Animal Hospital Affiliation recommends that kittens obtain full oral exams to verify for “lacking, unerupted or slow-to-erupt enamel,” in addition to child enamel that fail to fall out in time (which might make it more durable for everlasting enamel to come back in on the proper positions) (5).
“Many cats may have common skilled dental cleanings,” Kornreich says. In case you’re undecided what sort of care or cleansing your cat’s enamel want, verify along with your veterinarian. In response to Kornreich, “Monitoring for dental illness is a vital a part of any regular veterinary go to.”
