Modern guy may seem like a far cry from their saber - toothed cousins … until they open their mouths , that is . Beneath that cunning and cuddly exterior , your cat has tooth like razors , just like their ferocious felid ascendant . These “ obligate carnivore ” were born to hound and bet on their teeth to seize , immobilize , and shred their prey .
Your sweet housecat is more likely to spend their time stalking overgorge miniature and down kibble than rupture into tough quarry . However , your cat ’s tooth are just as of the essence to their anatomy as they were for their antecedent .
Cat Teeth Anatomy: A Basic Overview
Your qat ’s teeth are made up of several distinct components . The portion of the tooth above the glue line is call the crown . It ’s cover in a hard , protective coating known as enamel that protect the dentine — the softer part of the tooth underneath .
The portion of the tooth below the gum line is called the antecedent . It ’s covered in a thin level of dental tissue holler cementum . Inside the tooth , the share called the pulp is made up of nerves and line vas .
How Many Teeth Do Cats Have?
The number of teeth in your cat ’s back talk depend on their age , according to Dr. Bruce Kornreich , diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and film director of the Cornell Feline Health Center .
kitty are born without tooth . Within two to four hebdomad , their deciduous teeth — also known as Milk River teeth — start growing . Within eight week , kittens typically have around 26 teeth . And by the time they are 6 months old , kitty typically have a full set of 30 “ grownup ” or lasting teeth : 12 incisor , 10 premolar , four molars , and four canine teeth .
Kornreich notes that all adult cats , disregardless of stock , have the same number of tooth .
Do Cats Lose Baby Teeth?
Yes , kitten do mislay their tooth . Deciduous teeth commence precipitate out around 3 months of age but kittens have such tiny teeth , you may never even notice that they are miss or have been replaced with adult teeth .
Do Cats Lose Teeth?
While all kittens suffer their baby tooth , Kornreich note that it ’s potential for grownup cats to lose tooth , too .
Dental disease is one of the most plebeian reasons cats could lose their teeth .
“ periodontic disease starts with gingivitis or accumulation of plaque on the dentition , which provides an environment where bacterium can grow , ” says Kornreich . “ It cause an incendiary reply in the tissue paper around the tooth … and compromise the supporting structures that sequester the tooth stem to the bone , leading to tooth loss . ”
Trauma from car accidents , falls , and fights can also induce khat to fall in or lose their teeth .
5 Surprising Cat Teeth Facts
Different teeth have different jobs.
Cats have four different kinds of tooth : incisor , canines , premolars , and molars . And most types of guy teeth have unlike caper , harmonise to Kornreich .
true cat habituate their canid teeth to deflate peel and snap up their prey . They tear off piece of prey and grind them up with their premolar and molars . And cats depend on their incisors — the small teeth between the canine tooth teeth — to beak affair up and help with dressing .
Toothless cats can still eat.
In the state of nature , cats depend on their teeth to capture and devour prey . lose those teeth can put a wild cat ’s life at risk of infection since they could easily famish . But domesticate CAT with no teeth can still gobble up bowls of kibble at breakfast , lunch , and dinner .
“ tame cat do n’t have to catch their Caterpillar food , ” Kornreich says . “ domesticise Arabian tea , even with full mouthpiece extractions , can still deplete ; they may develop a preference for wet food , but , in some cases , they ’ll even eat dry food . ”
Cats don’t get cavities.
The term “ cavity ” conjure up up calamitous jam that need to be drilled out and filled ; cats do n’t get these variety of pit .
“ Cats do n’t have horizontal tooth surface , so they do n’t develop dental cavities in the same agency that people do , ” Kornreich explains .
Cats can get feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions ( FORLs ) . These painful “ cat cavities ” occur at or below the gum line and are the upshot of tooth resorption , not decay . The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association cover that FORLs are on the procession , perhaps due to factor such as diet , chronic disease , excitation , or genetic science ( 1 ) . Often the lesions go undetected , but they can cause symptom like pain , excess salivation , tooth loss , and trouble rust .
Cats can get other dental diseases.
Cats are susceptible to a variety show of dental diseases . In fact , studies show that up to 90 percent of cats over 4 years former suffer from dental conditions , include ( 2 ):
Each of these disease can make subject ranging from pain in the neck and discomfort to appetite going and infection .
You might not notice dental disease.
Somecats are quite stoic and might conceal the signs of dental disease or pain . Be on the lookout for symptom such as extravagant drool , bad intimation , blood - tinged spit , taste for wet solid food , or loss of appetite .
“ The heavy surprise is when citizenry realize how advanced their qat ’s oral disease is , ” Kornreich adds . “ If you ’re not looking for symptom , they can be pernicious and you may not notice anything is even wrong . ”
Taking Care of Cat Teeth: Tips and Advice
Good oral health starts with a good dieting . Several work have found that cats feed wry intellectual nourishment diets had better oral wellness than those fed wet food for thought ( 3 ) .
In gain to feeding your cat a all over and balanced dieting , Kornreich urge establishing a dental care function at home . Yes , that meansbrushing your cat ’s teeth day by day .
“ Most cats will tolerate having their teeth brushed if you set forth when they ’re young and get them used to it , ” he adds .
Skip the tube of toothpaste in your medicine cabinet , which could contain ingredients that could be harmful to cat . alternatively , opt product that have been approved for cats ( theVeterinary Oral Health Councilseal is a adept indicator that a toothpaste is safe for your kat ) . There are even toothbrushes plan for cats .
There are also a identification number of dental mastication on the grocery store . One study found that cats who received dental chews in addition to their dry nutrient dieting for four weeks had less plaque and tartar on their tooth and less severe gingivitis than cat who were run ironic food alone ( 4 ) .
Cats should receive even unwritten examination during their veterinary visits . The American Animal Hospital Association recommends that kittens receive complete unwritten exams to curb for “ missing , unerupted or slow - to - erupt teeth , ” as well as baby tooth that fail to fall out in time ( which could make it harder for permanent tooth to follow in at the proper place ) ( 5 ) .
“ Many cats may need even professional dental cleanings , ” Kornreich says . If you ’re not sure what kind of care or cleaning your cat ’s tooth need , mark off with your veterinarian . consort to Kornreich , “ Monitoring for dental disease is an important part of any normal veterinary visit . ”
