Cat Teeth 5 Facts You Should Know
How well do you know your cat's teeth ? Did you know that you can tell your cat's age by looking at its teeth? Do you know why cats have such sharp molars? Every cat owner knows that their cat uses its teeth for more than just chewing and biting. Cats' teeth in particular hold many secrets. In today's blog post, we'll give you answers to 5 facts about cat teeth that you should know.
Determining the age of the cat by teeth
Did you know that you can determine your cat's age based on its dental status? Just like humans, your cat's teeth change over the course of its life. The first set of teeth consists of 26 milk teeth. The permanent teeth replace the milk teeth at the age of three to four months. After that, the permanent adult teeth form. Adult cats have four more teeth than kittens. The age of your cat can therefore be determined very precisely based on the number of teeth.
Sharp teeth for everything rough
Cats are not originally designed to be kept in a house or apartment . Accustomed to dry food and fine pate, the sharp teeth in the back of your cat's jaw will atrophy. Cats' teeth are designed to grind up meat and bones, as this is what they feed on in their natural environment .
This is also clearly visible in your cat's molars. Unlike those of herbivores or even us humans, your cat's molars are slightly raised. Pointed and jagged, cats can use them to tear and chop up muscles, bones and meat.
Did you know that your cat cannot move its jaw from left to right like we humans can?
Teeth perfectly adapted to grooming
Your cat's teeth are perfectly adapted to its needs when it comes to grooming its fur. The front teeth serve as a natural grooming tool. With these relatively small teeth, your cat is able to catch fleas and swallow them whole.
Your cat's incisors also have a special function. They allow your cat to groom its fur thoroughly. This includes removing plant remains from its last foray from its fur.
RL (resorptive lesion) - also incorrectly called "cat caries"
It is one of the most painful and at the same time most common dental diseases in cats. Since this disease can also occur in dogs and humans and odontoclasts are almost always involved, FORL disease is nowadays mostly referred to as TR "Tooth Resorption" or RL "Resorptive Lesion". Resorbtive lesions are often not visible in cats. Bad breath, drooling and bleeding in the mouth can be the first signs of RL.
Older terms such as “cervical caries” or colloquial terms such as “cat caries” or even “caries” should no longer be used in this context. This can lead to an incorrect etiology, an incorrect causal connection.
Cats cannot suffer from tooth decay caused by bacteria!
Tooth injuries are particularly painful in cats
Cats cannot express their pain. This does not mean that they cannot sense or feel pain. Dental problems or RL can cause unbelievably terrible pain in cats. For this reason, it is important that you regularly monitor your cat's dental health.
Regular dental check-ups and dental care can prevent the worst from happening to your cat, and if there is a problem with your cat's teeth, you can recognize it in time and take appropriate action. For professional dental care for your cat, we recommend our emmi®-pet ultrasonic toothbrush.
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