For most cat owners, the cats' happiness and health are a top priority. People spend millions of dollars every year on food, toys, treats, cat furniture, even clothes for their pets. Money is spent on training, grooming and medical care, but, unfortunately, many pet owners and especially cat owners do not know the importance of having healthy teeth.

Because of this unintentional oversight, over 80% of pets have dental issues after the age of three. These issues include tartar build up, broken teeth, gum diseases and bad breath. All of these problems will eventually lead to teeth falling out, the inability to eat and, therefore, a very unhappy and unhealthy 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.

So the big question is how do you get started in your quest for clean kitty teeth? We all know that cats do not like being forced to do something they are not comfortable with. So you will need to come up with some creative ways to get your cat to accept the new experience. Keeping your cleaning sessions as short as possible, lots of love and praise, and a favorite treat at the end are all good tactics to begin with. After a while your kitty should begin to get use to the program, although they still may not love it!

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, after time, your pet does not accept home brushing or if you already see ugly brown tartar stains on its teeth or there is evidence of bleeding gums, it's time to turn to your veterinarian for help. They will give your pet general anesthesia and then clean its teeth above and below the gum line to remove plaque and tartar. After your cat's teeth are cleaned, they will be polished to remove microscopic plaque and to make the teeth smooth to discourage plaque from clinging.

No doubt, cat dental care is as important to your pet and his well being as it is to you. Your kitty needs to be cared for so provide it with regular tooth care and cleaning. With a little time and effort on your part, your cat's teeth will last a lifetime.