Cat Dental Health: 6 Steps to Healthy Teeth

Before becoming a cat owner most people don't give two seconds of thought to cat dental health. It is more likely for a dog to have bad breath, hence the term "dog breath", so we are more apt to pay attention to their dental health over our feline friends. For your cat to be healthy she needs clean, sharp teeth and healthy gums. Pay attention to your cat's dental health and follow the steps below for perfect feline pearly whites!

1) Smell your cat's breath. Cats are smaller animals so it can be difficult to smell their mouth from a few feet away, unlike dogs. The smell of her breath should not be offensive, if it is, she may have gum problems that should be looked at by a veterinarian. Stinky breath can also signal digestive problems.

2) Check gums thoroughly. At the same time that you check her breath, you can check her gums too. You will have to gently push the lips back to get the best view. The gums should be firm and pink and white; red colors and swelling can pinpoint dental problems.

3) Know the symptoms of mouth problems. Your cat's teeth should be clean and free from brownish tartar, and none should be loose or broken. Watch for any of the following signs that could indicate problems in her mouth:

• Dark red lines along the gums
• Red and swollen gums
• Ulcers on gums or tongue
• Loose teeth
• Difficulty chewing food
• Excessive drooling
• Excessive pawing at the mouth area

If you cat is showing any of these signs, you should bring her to a veterinarian right away. Even though the problem could be small, it is best to rule out serious problems like gingivitis and gum disease. Avoiding these symptoms could lead to tooth loss, inability to eat and even internal conditions such as kidney disease.

4) Use a dental cleanser such as a gel, spray or tooth paste and brush.

5) Give your cat chew toys or dental chew treats. All cats love to play and need to satisfy their natural desire to chew. Chew toys can do the trick, while also making her teeth strong. You can also use a dental cleansing treat such as Greenies Dental Treats.

6) Keep on top of her diet. Some cats are more susceptible to mouth problems than others. There are special cat foods for cats with dental issues. You can ask a veterinarian to recommend the best food for your pet.

By following all of these steps, you will be well on your way to keeping on top of your cat's dental health.

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Dental Health For Kids - Common Dental Problems And Solutions

Believe it or not, tooth decay can occur as soon as nursing years. This condition is called the baby bottle tooth decay. The gums and teeth of your baby is at risk when it is in constant contact with sugars that are present in the breast milk, formulas, fruit juices and plain water with sugar. The sugars in these substances stay in the babies' mouths for a long time. Afterwards, bacteria feed on the sugar deposits and they eventually damage the gums and teeth. Tooth decay can cause pain and discomfort to children. More so, it can cause the misalignment of permanent which grow some years later.

As part of dental health for kids, parents and primary caregivers of children are advised to clean the baby's mouth with a small piece of cotton dabbed in clean water after bottle feeding sessions. Refrain from pacifying or putting the baby to sleep by bottle feeding him with milk. Instead have a pacifier ready at times like this. As soon as the baby becomes a toddler, lessen his use of feeding bottles. Teach him how to use cups with straws.

When toddlers grow into preschoolers, another threat that comes their way is early teeth loss. While tooth decay is a primary reason for this, small accidents during a rough play also make children loose one or a couple of teeth. Just like the above-mentioned, this can result to misaligned teeth. If the positioning of the concerned teeth is not corrected, the condition can lead to related dental joint problems.

The value of dental health must be taught to kids as soon as they acquire the ability to understand. This includes constant practice as well. Parents and primary care givers must be determined to accomplish this understanding because the motivation of the kids will depend on them. To begin with, discipline children to eat regular meals in a day without any snacks in between. Besides giving them definite time to eat, ensure that their meals are nutritious. You can research online for a list of foods that are good for the teeth. Next, encourage children to brush their teeth after each meal. As much as possible, let them use toothpaste that is rich in fluoride.

Dental Health: Teeth Whitening

Having pearly white teeth make a person more eye-catching. When we lose our baby teeth, our permanent ones start off as being pearly white. Somewhere down the line, however, they become yellowish and stained thereby losing their attractive initial color and changing into a grayish-yellow. People who desire to retain the bright smile produced by pearly white teeth resort to teeth whitening either through products sold in the market or by having it lightened professionally by a dentist.

What Causes Teeth to Lose Their Pearly White Color?

Teeth naturally change color as they age. It does not mean that someone with yellowish teeth is negligent when caring for his or her teeth, nor does it mean that the person has a dental health problem. Light grayish-yellow teeth are normal. Visually, the color of a person's skin can also make teeth appear darker. Those who have fair complexion seem to have a less brighter smile than those who are darker-skinned due to the color contrast.

One of the main reasons why teeth darken is food stains. Certain food or drinks like coffee, red wine, black currant, and tea leaves stain on the surface of the teeth; over time and through accumulation, the teeth darken. The use of tobacco products, whether smoked or ingested, also leaves stains on the teeth.

Certain dental problems can also cause darkening of the teeth. Tartar is a good example of this. The stain could also be beneath the tooth's surface as a result of very small cracks. Certain antibiotics can also cause the teeth to change into a darker shade due to the interaction between the tooth and the antibiotics' chemical components.

What Are the Ways to Either Make or Keep Teeth White?

The speed at which teeth darken naturally can be slowed down by doing a few simple things. First is brushing daily. The mild abrasive action through the use of a toothbrush and toothpaste acts to remove stains accumulated prior to brushing. If this is done daily at regular intervals, it will help the teeth retain their sparkle, though a little darkening will inevitably occur in the long run.

Having a dentist clean one's teeth regularly will also help greatly. A good advice that they often give to those seeking to keep their teeth white is drinking beverages known to stain teeth through a straw. Also, avoiding the use of nicotine products reduces the chances of staining teeth too much. Most people are satisfied with this combination.

Those seeking to lighten their teeth more aggressively can choose from a wide variety of bleaching solutions, surface whiteners, and dental procedures like laser whitening. Bleaching and surface whiteners take several weeks before teeth become noticeably whiter. Procedures like laser whitening, on the other hand, take as little as an hour. However, it is very important to talk to a dentist first before attempting to whiten teeth artificially. There are significant dangers of which most people are unaware, and these can lead to a lot of grief later on.

What Are the Dangers?

The gums are particularly vulnerable in the previously mentioned procedures, especially with the prolonged use of whitening chemicals. Some of the signs of this problem are oral ulcers and sores. One's teeth can also become painfully sensitive to heat and cold, which makes eating uncomfortable.

Whatever enters the mouth finds its way to the stomach. It is because of this that people can experience an upset stomach, nausea, and other similar unfavorable stomach maladies. Rinsing the teeth after using a tooth whitening product can help circumvent this problem. Some chemicals present in whitening agents are not advisable for use by pregnant women.

Conclusion

Tooth whitening is considered a cosmetic procedure in many countries. It has no bearing on dental health, except in an aesthetic sense, and may even cause some health problems if care is not exercised or if the advice of a dentist is not sought. Proper dental hygiene can aid in keeping teeth attractively white, if not dazzlingly white, for a long time, and is the far safer option.

Dental Health Tips: How To Improve Your Kids Dental Health

Taking care of one's health is very important to live a long and happy life. Most people today are not concerned anymore of their diet, fitness and of course hygiene. And for that reason, the life expectancy of humans in this era is surprisingly 60 plus only compared in the olden times where reaching a hundred is natural. Anyhow, I would like to emphasize more on improving the dental health of children. The truth of the matter is parents usually neglect this aspect that is why their kids are sickly. What they do not know is it affects the entire body. So here are some tips for proper oral hygiene.

The very first thing that you should do is teach your children to brush their teeth daily using a soft toothbrush. To make it more fun and exciting, demonstrate it to them. Do it in a circular motion. Then wash your teeth thoroughly with water and spit it out. It is significant that you oversee the kids when they are brushing their teeth. Why is that? It is because children like to imitate grownups plus it would be a good bonding experience between you and the kids. Always remember to teach them the proper way to clean their teeth.

Secondly, children should also be taught on flossing. This is an essential part of oral hygiene because it prevents one from gum diseases, halitosis, and dental caries. According to experts, flossing regularly can reduce heart disease. This is absolutely beneficial to your young ones. Moreover, make sure that you just do not use any material in flossing to avoid teeth irregularity. It should be made from thin nylon filaments or a silk ribbon.

As much as possible, advice your kids not to eat so much hard candies, chocolates, citrus fruits and sugar. These foods can destroy the teeth if consume in huge amounts. It is your role as the parent to guide your children to eating the right kinds of food.

Last but not least, bring your children to the dentist every six months for a regular cleaning. This will greatly improve the dental health of your kids since these dental experts are well experienced and equipped to properly check and clean teeth. We cannot deny the fact that there are teeth matters that can only be handled by them. Regular checkup also allows you to monitor the condition of your beloved kids plus you get professional advice.

February Is Pet Dental Health Month

February is most noted for being Black History Month and for being a time to snuggle extra close with your lover in celebration of Valentine's Day. However, February is also Pet Dental Health Month - a special time to think about how snuggling with your four-legged loved ones would be a lot better if their mouth was a lot cleaner!

Just how important is dental health for Buddy or Bella? According to leading pet health insurance companies, dental related problems and diseases are in the top ten of health claims they receive. Problems such as periodontal disease, tooth infections, and tooth decay can really affect Buddy's overall health if you don't address the problems right away. Better still, Bella should be getting regular tooth check-ups and teeth cleanings so you can prevent nasty and hazardous dental problems down the road.

Keep Buddy's Teeth Healthy and Shining
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reports that nearly 80% of dogs show some signs of oral disease by age 3. This could be dramatically reduced if pet owners took their dogs to veterinarians regularly and practiced proper pet dental health care at home.

There are lots of ways to practice preventative pet dental care. In general, whatever you do for your teeth, you should also do for Buddy's. Brushing their teeth is the best way to keep tooth decay and tooth disease away. Don't use human dental products on Buddy, though! There are plenty of pet friendly dental hygiene products on the market, and only these should be used on pets.

Some pet brushes on the market include finger brushes and smaller pet toothbrushes. Lots of pets and their owners prefer finger brushes, as it gives the owner more control over the teeth cleaning and doesn't put the pets off as much. Finger brushes simply slip over your finger tip giving you maximal control as you clean out Buddy's mouth. If you decide to go with a more traditional pet toothbrush, make sure you get the proper size for Buddy or Bella's mouth. Small dogs have small mouths and need small toothbrushes!

It is also important not to use human toothpaste when you brush Bella's mouth. She isn't going to like mint flavor and she won't know how to spit it out when you're done. This is why pet friendly toothpastes come in flavors like poultry or beef and aren't meant to be spit out when the brushing is done.

Aside from good old-fashioned tooth brushing, Buddy can also benefit from dental care dog biscuits, oral sprays, and oral gels. Of the three, as you can probably guess, Buddy will prefer the dental biscuits. If you are already giving Buddy a biscuit or two a day, why not make it one that will help improve her teeth? However, if Buddy's mouth, teeth, and/or breath are in pretty bad shape, your veterinarian might recommend stronger products, like the oral sprays and the gels.

Benefits of Buddy's Cleaner Mouth
Having a cleaner, healthier mouth will benefit both you and Buddy. Not only will he have fresher breath (so you can snuggle him extra close) and healthier teeth, but his overall health will be better, too. Like humans, when dogs have healthier mouths they have less health problems with their hearts, livers, and even kidneys. If proper dental health care for Buddy and Bella means fresher breath, less health problems and prettier smiles, then every owner should be more than happy to start taking pet dental care more seriously. And not just in February, but during every month of the year.

How to Take Care of Children's Dental Health

The good dental health of children will need to be monitored in the earliest possible time, to ensure that their good dental health can be maintained well into their older years. Prevention (of dental health problems) will always be better than looking for cures or treatments of existing dental problems. It is best to discover the best ways of taking care of your children's dental health care, so that serious dental health problems can be avoided in the future.

Regular visits to the dentist will go a long way in ensuring that your child's dental health is properly taken care of; the regular dental check-ups with the dentist can prevent dental problems from developing, and can also provide the necessary treatments in the earliest possible time. However, there are also a number of things you can do on your own to ensure the best dental health possible for your children.

Taking Care of your Child's Dental Health
• As soon as your child's first tooth erupts or comes out from under the gum line, you should start a regular tooth brushing habit. Small tooth brushes that can fit on fingertips are specially made for babies' small mouths, so that you can gently clean the teeth (or tooth) without putting too much pressure or force.

• Children's toothpaste can be used as soon as your child learns how to spit. It is best to use toothpaste that does not contain sweeteners or sugar substitutes, dyes, or foaming ingredients.

• Turn the tooth brushing activity into a fun and engaging one, so that your child can develop a good idea about brushing his or her teeth. It will also help if you explain to your child the importance of regular and good tooth brushing habits, so that your child will have a deeper appreciation for the need for good oral hygiene practices.

• Give your child snacks that are not high on sugars, so that he or she will not develop a sweet tooth early in life. Healthy snacking can help prevent dental problems from developing - and you can also set a good example by avoiding sugar-laced snacks yourself! It is also best to limit snacks to twice daily, so that your child can concentrate on the regular meals and not on the nibbles that he or she can get in between the main meals of the day.

In addition to following the above mentioned tips, it is advised to regularly visit a dentist. The dentist will watch for teeth developmental problems and address them properly.

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