If you have a cat, then its health and happiness will be very important to you. People spend a lot of money on food, treats, toys and sometimes even clothing for their pets. They also invest in grooming, training and medical care. Another thing that is very important which many people forget about is having healthy teeth.

A huge 80% of pets have dental issues after the age of three years because of this oversight. These dental problems can include broken teeth, gum disease, tartar buildup and bad breath. These troubles can lead to the loss of teeth, difficulty in eating and an unhealthy and unhappy cat.

If left untreated, dental disease can result in complications. Dental issues can affect the heart, kidneys, intestinal tract and even the joints of your pet. Bacteria builds up in the mouth when your pet has a dental problem and this can cause infection to spread to other parts of the body. Regular preventative dental care can prevent these side effects.

There are products on the market that can help with dental issues such as specially formulated foods, toys and even cat toothbrushes and toothpaste. These items are very useful in fighting dental problems. Any cat lover, however, will tell you that cats do not like being made to do anything they do not want to. You must begin slowly and try not to scare the kitty. You need to offer a lot of love and perhaps treats. Although it might well be treats that caused the tooth decay in the first place, a cat will understand that if it lets you clean its mouth, it will get a reward, so it is more likely to hold still while you do what you need to.

It is easier to begin a tooth brushing routine with a kitten than an adult cat but you can still introduce an older cat to good dental habits. Rubbing the teeth is preferred to brushing the teeth, according to many veterinarians. You can wrap a piece of gauze around your finger and rub the cat's teeth with that. Alternatively, let the cat chew its toothbrush. This will dislodge a lot of the tartar and plaque before problems can arise.

Your cat should be willing to accept having its teeth brushed after a while, when it has got used to it. To brush the cat's teeth, you should hold the toothbrush at a 45 degree angle and apply it to the area where the cat's gums meet its teeth. Repeat until all the teeth are clean on the cheek side. Cleaning the surfaces of the teeth inside the mouth is slightly more tricky as the cat has to open its mouth but eventually your cat should calm down and let you without too much protest. Cleaning a cat's teeth twice a week should be sufficient.

If your cat does not let you brush its teeth or if you can see brown tartar stains or bleeding gums, you need to take the cat to the vet. They will give the cat a general anesthetic and clean the teeth both above and below the gum line to get rid of tartar and plaque. When the cat's teeth are clean, the vet will polish them to remove any microscopic pieces of plaque and to make the teeth smooth since this will discourage further plaque from sticking.

Dental care should be as important to you as it is to your pet. Regular tooth cleaning is essential and if you treat your cat's teeth right, they should last a lifetime and your cat will be healthy and happy.