National Brush Day - Friday 11-01- 2024

Friday November 1st is National Brush Day! This holiday was founded by in 2013 by The Partnership for Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives and the Ad Council, intentionally set the day after Halloween to remind everyone to take good care of their candy crunchers. Although intended for all the human trick-or-treaters, this day serves as a good reminder that kitties need their teeth brushed, too!

Even though cats are known to be fastidious and clean critters, their chompers benefit greatly with a little extra help from humans like us! Daily toothbrushing can greatly improve your cat’s oral health and even increase the time between professional dental cleanings. Just like humans, cats can develop plaque and decay around their gums and teeth, resulting in pain, sensitivity, and additional medical complications. Our feline friends are rarely able to adequately communicate when they are in pain or what’s bothering them. A cat experiencing dental pain may exhibit jaw spasms, increased salivation, oral bleeding, or difficulty eating.
A common feline oral malady is tooth resorption.; greater than half of all cats older than three years old will have at least one tooth affected by resorption.  These tooth defects have been called cavities, neck lesions, external or internal root resorptions, feline odontoclastic resorption lesions (FORLs), and cervical line erosions.  Tooth resorptions are usually found on the outside of the tooth where the gum meets the dental surface. The lower jaw premolars are mostly affected, however tooth resorption can be found on any tooth.

Daily at-home care is the single most important thing you can do to maintain your cat’s oral health. As plaque is constantly made and deposited in the mouth, daily brushing will dramatically reduce the number of professional cleanings your cat will need in a lifetime. If your cat has other dental health concerns, we may also recommend adding a special diet, vitamin supplement, and/or at-home sealants to your routine.

You can watch the video below for additional instruction from one of our technicians on how to brush your cat’s teeth using an enzymatic toothpase.

"Affectionately Cats - Brushing Your Cat's Teeth"

https://youtu.be/naG-cxhSjPo

"Affectionately Cats - Video Resources"

https://www.affectionatelycats.com/video-resources