How to Check Your Cat’s Teeth at Home: Signs of Dental Disease and When to See a Vet

How to Check Your Cat’s Teeth at Home: Signs of Dental Disease and When to See a Vet

By Dr Duncan Houston

Checking your cat’s teeth at home can help you notice dental disease before it becomes impossible to ignore. The key word, however, is look.

You should not wiggle teeth, press the gums, scrape away tartar or force your cat’s mouth open. Painful conditions such as tooth resorption, fractured teeth and advanced periodontal disease can be hidden beneath apparently minor changes.

Cats are also remarkably good at concealing oral pain. Some continue eating normally while changing how they chew, swallowing food whole or quietly stopping grooming. A normal appetite does not guarantee a healthy or comfortable mouth.

Quick Answer

To check your cat’s teeth safely, first observe how they eat and groom. Then look for facial swelling, smell the breath and gently lift the lips one side at a time to inspect the visible teeth and gum margins.

Do not force the jaw open, test whether teeth are loose or place cotton swabs or dental tools against the gums. Contact a veterinarian if you find persistent bad breath, red or bleeding gums, a broken tooth, a red defect in a tooth, swelling, an ulcer or changes in eating.

What Can an At-Home Dental Check Tell You?

A gentle home check may reveal:

• Red, swollen or bleeding gums

• Yellow or brown tartar

• A visibly broken tooth

• A tooth that looks shorter or differently shaped

• Gum tissue growing over part of a tooth

• Blood or abnormal discharge

• Facial swelling

• An ulcer, lump or unusual area of tissue

• Changes in chewing, drooling or grooming

It is a useful screening check, but it is not a complete dental examination.

A home check cannot reliably show:

• Disease affecting the tooth roots

• Bone loss beneath the gums

• Early tooth resorption

• Periodontal pockets

• Retained root fragments

• Disease beneath apparently healed gum tissue

• The full extent of a fractured tooth

• Abnormalities at the back of the mouth or beneath the tongue

A comprehensive veterinary dental assessment combines an awake examination with an examination under general anaesthesia, tooth-by-tooth charting and full-mouth intraoral dental radiographs.

How Often Should You Check Your Cat’s Teeth?

A brief visual check approximately once a month is a sensible home routine, provided your cat remains relaxed and cooperative.

Your veterinarian should also examine your cat’s mouth during routine health checks. Most cats should receive a veterinary examination every 6 to 12 months, although cats with previous dental disease may need more frequent assessment.

Check sooner if you notice:

• A change in eating behaviour

• New bad breath

• Drooling

• Reduced grooming

• Facial rubbing

• Weight loss

• Blood around the mouth

• Facial swelling

• A visible abnormality

Do not wait for your cat to refuse food completely. That is often a late sign.

Before You Start

Choose a time when your cat is calm, such as after resting or during a relaxed interaction.

Prepare by:

• Moving to a quiet, well-lit area

• Allowing your cat to sit or stand naturally

• Using a stable, non-slip surface if needed

• Washing your hands

• Having a reward ready

• Keeping the examination brief

You do not need a dental probe, cotton swab, metal instrument or mouth gag.

Do not scruff, pin down or tightly restrain your cat. If your cat turns away, flattens their ears, growls, struggles, swats or tries to bite, stop. A forced examination is unlikely to be useful and may make future handling more difficult.

How to Check Your Cat’s Teeth Safely

Step 1: Watch Your Cat Eat Before Touching the Mouth

Some of the most useful dental information appears while your cat is eating.

Watch for:

• Chewing mainly on one side

• Tilting the head while chewing

• Dropping food

• Swallowing biscuits without chewing

• Picking food up and immediately dropping it

• Approaching the bowl and then backing away

• Taking much longer to eat

• Preferring wet or soft food

• Crying, growling or jerking backwards after biting

• Drooling during or after meals

Also note whether your cat has stopped grooming, playing with toys or allowing the face to be touched. These subtle changes may indicate oral pain even when overall appetite remains normal.

Step 2: Look at the Face From the Front

Compare the left and right sides of the face.

Look for:

• Swelling beneath either eye

• Swelling along the jaw

• One side of the face appearing larger

• A protruding or displaced eye

• Nasal or eye discharge on one side

• Wounds or draining areas

• Difficulty closing the mouth

Facial asymmetry, swelling and one-sided nasal or ocular discharge may be associated with oral disease, dental infection, trauma or an oral mass.

Step 3: Check the Chin, Lips and Saliva

Look around the lips and chin for:

• Wetness from drooling

• Blood staining

• Thick or stringy saliva

• Pus or abnormal discharge

• Crusting

• Swelling

• A foul smell

• Pain when the area is approached

A small amount of moisture immediately after drinking is normal. Persistent drooling, blood or foul discharge is not.

Step 4: Smell the Breath

You do not need to place your face directly in front of your cat’s mouth. A gentle lip lift will usually allow you to notice a strong odour.

Persistent unpleasant breath may occur with:

• Gingivitis

• Periodontitis

• Tooth resorption with inflammation

• A fractured or infected tooth

• Gingivostomatitis

• Oral ulceration

• An oral mass

Bad breath does not identify which disease is present, but it is a reason to arrange an examination.

Step 5: Gently Lift One Side of the Lip

Place a finger against the fur above the upper lip and lift it gently. You do not need to open the jaw.

Look at the visible outer surfaces of the:

• Canine teeth

• Premolars

• Gum margins

• Inner surface of the lip

Repeat on the opposite side if your cat remains comfortable.

Look for differences between the two sides. Tooth shape varies very little between normal cats, so a shortened, irregular or partly missing tooth deserves attention.

Step 6: Look at the Front Teeth

If your cat remains relaxed, gently lift the upper and lower lips at the front.

Check for:

• Broken canine teeth

• Missing incisors

• Redness around the gumline

• Gum recession

• Bleeding

• Ulcers on the lips

• Abnormal tissue growing around the teeth

• A tooth that has turned grey, brown, pink or purple

Do not pull the jaw open or try to inspect the throat.

Step 7: Stop Before Your Cat Becomes Upset

The purpose is to collect useful information, not complete a perfect examination.

A five-second look that your cat accepts calmly is better than an impressive wrestling match that ends with three unhappy mammals and an urgent need for antiseptic.

What Should Healthy Cat Teeth and Gums Look Like?

A reassuring home check usually finds:

• A symmetrical face

• No swelling

• No persistent bad smell

• Teeth that appear intact

• Gum margins that are not swollen or bleeding

• No ulcers, lumps or abnormal discharge

• No signs of discomfort while eating

• Normal grooming and behaviour

Healthy gum margins should have a sharp, non-inflamed edge. Some cats naturally have black, brown or grey pigmentation on the gums, lips or roof of the mouth. Normal pigment is usually flat and stable.

More concerning changes include:

• New redness

• Swelling

• Bleeding

• A raised pigmented lesion

• Ulceration

• Asymmetry

• Progressive enlargement

Veterinary periodontal assessment considers gum inflammation, bleeding, recession, pocket depth, tooth mobility and radiographic bone loss. Most of these cannot be assessed safely or accurately at home.

What Do Different Dental Findings Mean?

What you notice	What it may mean	What to do
Yellow or brown material on the teeth	Dental calculus or tartar	Arrange a routine dental assessment, particularly if the gums are red
Red gum margins	Gingivitis or early periodontal disease	Book a veterinary examination within the next few days
Bleeding gums	Moderate or advanced inflammation, trauma or another oral lesion	Arrange prompt veterinary care
Gum recession or an exposed root	Periodontal attachment loss	Veterinary examination and dental radiographs are needed
Pink or red tissue growing into a tooth	Tooth resorption	Arrange a dental assessment promptly
A shortened or partly missing tooth	Tooth resorption, fracture, previous trauma or retained roots	Dental radiographs are needed
A grey, brown, pink or purple tooth	Pulp injury, internal bleeding or tooth death	Arrange an examination within days
A broken tooth	Dental trauma, potentially involving the pulp	Prompt veterinary examination is required
A loose-looking tooth	Periodontal disease, trauma or cancer	Do not test it at home; arrange veterinary care
An ulcer or abnormal mass	Inflammation, trauma, infection or oral cancer	Prompt examination and possibly biopsy
Facial swelling	Tooth-root disease, abscess, trauma, salivary disease or a mass	Same-day care is appropriate
Drooling or blood in the saliva	Oral pain, inflammation, trauma or a mass	Seek prompt care, depending on severity

Yellow or Brown Tartar

Tartar is hardened material attached to the tooth surface. The amount you can see does not reliably tell you how much disease exists beneath the gums.

A cat with modest visible tartar may have significant periodontal bone loss or tooth resorption. Another cat may have obvious calculus without the same degree of hidden destruction. Dental radiographs and periodontal probing are needed to determine what is happening below the gumline.

Red or Bleeding Gums

A narrow red line along the gum margin may represent gingivitis.

More advanced disease may cause:

• Wider areas of inflammation

• Spontaneous bleeding

• Gum recession

• Periodontal pockets

• Bone loss

• Loose teeth

Gingivitis can be reversible before attachment loss occurs. Periodontitis involves irreversible destruction of the tissues supporting the tooth.

A Pink or Red Defect in a Tooth

A small pink area at the gumline may be mistaken for inflamed gum tissue. It can represent tooth resorption, particularly when the gum appears to be growing into or covering part of the tooth.

Tooth resorption is common, progressive and frequently painful. Early disease may remain completely beneath the gumline, while advanced lesions may change the visible shape of the crown.

A Broken or Discoloured Tooth

A fractured tooth may expose sensitive dentin or the pulp cavity within the centre of the tooth.

A complicated fracture involving the pulp needs treatment even if the cat appears comfortable. Treatment may involve root canal therapy or complete surgical extraction. Dental radiographs are required to assess the root and surrounding bone.

A Missing Tooth

A tooth that appears to be missing may have:

• Fallen out because of advanced periodontal disease

• Been fractured

• Been removed previously

• Failed to erupt

• Become covered by gum during end-stage tooth resorption

• Left a retained root beneath the gum

Never assume that an empty-looking space means the entire tooth is gone.

An Ulcer, Lump or Abnormal Growth

Oral growths can be inflammatory, infectious or cancerous. Appearance alone cannot reliably distinguish them.

A new lesion deserves prompt assessment if it is:

• One-sided

• Firm

• Ulcerated

• Bleeding

• Enlarging

• Foul-smelling

• Affecting eating

• Changing the shape of the face

Assessment may require dental imaging and biopsy.

How Worried Should You Be?

Risk level	What it may look like	Recommended action
Lower immediate risk	Mild tartar, no redness, no pain and normal eating behaviour	Arrange a routine veterinary oral examination
Moderate concern	Persistent bad breath, red gums, chewing differently, reduced grooming or a visible tooth abnormality	Book an appointment within the next few days
High concern	Bleeding, continuous drooling, obvious pain, a broken tooth, facial swelling, rapid weight loss or very little food intake	Seek same-day veterinary care
Critical	Breathing difficulty, inability to swallow, uncontrolled bleeding, collapse, major facial trauma or rapidly increasing facial or throat swelling	Go to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately

What changes the urgency most is not the amount of visible tartar. It is whether your cat is painful, able to eat and swallow, bleeding, swollen or becoming unwell.

What Dental Problems Might Your Veterinarian Consider?

Gingivitis and Periodontitis

Plaque accumulating around the gumline can cause gingivitis. If inflammation progresses into deeper supporting structures, periodontitis can cause attachment loss, bone destruction and loose teeth.

Visible tartar is only one part of the assessment. The veterinarian must evaluate gum recession, pocket depth, tooth mobility, furcation exposure and radiographic bone loss.

Tooth Resorption

Tooth resorption occurs when the cat’s own cells progressively destroy mineralised tooth tissue.

Signs may include:

• Jaw chattering

• Altered chewing

• Avoidance of hard food

• Facial rubbing

• Gum tissue growing over a tooth

• A shortened or apparently missing crown

Some cats show no recognisable signs at home. Dental radiographs are needed to identify the type and extent of the disease.

Fractured Teeth and Pulp Disease

Trauma or chewing hard objects can fracture a tooth. Damage to the pulp may cause inflammation, infection and eventual death of the tooth.

A cat may hide the pain, so visible pulp exposure, tooth discolouration or an obvious fracture should be investigated even when eating appears normal.

Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis

Feline chronic gingivostomatitis causes inflammation extending beyond the gum margins into the wider tissues of the mouth.

Affected cats may develop:

• Severe redness

• Ulcerated tissue

• Bloody drool

• Bad breath

• Weight loss

• Poor grooming

• Marked pain when eating

Diagnosis and treatment are based on an anaesthetised examination and full-mouth dental radiographs.

Oral Masses

Oral masses include inflammatory growths, cysts and several cancers.

Many become obvious only after disease is advanced, which is one reason regular veterinary oral examinations matter. A visible growth should not be repeatedly treated as an infection without obtaining a diagnosis.

Why Can’t a Home Check Replace Dental X-Rays?

Much of every tooth is hidden beneath the gumline.

Dental X-rays allow the veterinarian to assess:

• Tooth roots

• Surrounding jawbone

• Periodontal bone loss

• Tooth resorption

• Fractured roots

• Retained root fragments

• Infection around a root tip

• Unerupted teeth

• Whether an extraction has been completed properly

The FelineVMA guidelines state that appropriate feline dental care requires complete intraoral radiography. AAHA also strongly recommends full-mouth intraoral radiographs for dental patients because clinically important disease may be invisible during the surface examination.

What Happens During a Veterinary Dental Examination?

1. Awake Examination

The veterinarian begins by examining your conscious cat as much as the cat will comfortably allow.

This may include assessment of:

• Facial symmetry

• Jaw movement

• Visible gums and oral tissues

• Tooth number, shape and size

• Calculus

• Visible fractures

• Missing teeth

• Signs of pain

• General health and anaesthetic risk

The awake examination helps prepare the treatment plan, but it does not reveal all dental disease.

2. Preanaesthetic Assessment

Your veterinarian will assess overall health and determine what testing is appropriate before anaesthesia.

Depending on the individual cat, this may include:

• Blood tests

• Urinalysis

• Blood pressure

• Heart assessment

• Thyroid testing

• Additional imaging or testing

The plan is based on the cat’s health rather than age alone.

3. Examination Under General Anaesthesia

Anaesthesia allows the team to inspect areas that cannot be evaluated safely in an awake cat, including the soft palate, back of the mouth and tissues beneath the tongue.

Each tooth can then be:

• Inspected

• Probed

• Tested for mobility

• Assessed for gum recession

• Charted

• Radiographed

• Treated where necessary

This is where periodontal probing and tooth-mobility assessment belong. They should not be attempted by owners at home.

4. Full-Mouth Dental Radiographs

Every tooth and its surrounding bone are radiographed.

Pre-extraction radiographs guide treatment. Post-extraction radiographs confirm that the intended roots have been removed.

5. Treatment

Depending on the findings, treatment may include:

• Scaling above and below the gums

• Polishing

• Periodontal treatment

• Surgical extraction

• Root canal treatment

• Biopsy of an abnormal lesion

• Pain relief

• A home-care plan

• Follow-up examination

Dental cleaning without anaesthesia cannot provide a comprehensive examination, full-mouth dental radiographs or safe treatment beneath the gumline. The FelineVMA, AAHA and Australian Veterinary Association do not consider anaesthesia-free dentistry an adequate substitute for proper veterinary dental care.

When Is a Cat Dental Problem an Emergency?

Go to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately if your cat develops:

• Open-mouth breathing

• Obvious difficulty breathing

• Rapidly increasing facial or throat swelling

• Inability to swallow

• Uncontrolled bleeding from the mouth

• Pale, blue or grey gums

• Collapse

• Severe weakness

• Major facial or jaw trauma

• An object penetrating the mouth

• Inability to close the mouth

• Rapid deterioration over several hours

Seek same-day veterinary care if your cat:

• Stops eating

• Appears hungry but cannot chew or swallow

• Has continuous bloody drool

• Develops facial swelling

• Appears severely painful

• Has pus or foul-smelling discharge

• Has a visibly fractured tooth

• Is repeatedly pawing at the mouth

• Becomes lethargic or dehydrated

• Has an oral mass that is bleeding

A bright cat with mild tartar and no signs of pain can usually wait for a routine appointment. A cat that cannot eat comfortably should not.

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Photograph What You Can See

Take a clear photograph only if your cat allows it without force.

Photograph:

• Both sides of the face

• The visible teeth and gumline

• Any swelling

• Any ulcer or mass

• Blood or unusual discharge

A photograph does not provide a diagnosis, but it can help document progression.

2. Record Eating Behaviour

Write down:

• What food was offered

• How much was eaten

• Whether food was dropped

• Whether your cat chewed on one side

• Whether drooling occurred

• Whether your cat walked away despite appearing hungry

A short video of eating can be extremely useful.

3. Monitor General Behaviour

Look for changes in:

• Grooming

• Play

• Interaction

• Hiding

• Sleep

• Body weight

• Food preference

• Facial sensitivity

These changes may reveal pain that is not obvious during a brief mouth check.

4. Offer Food Your Cat Can Manage

Soft or smooth food may be easier while you arrange an examination.

Do not assume that improvement with soft food means the dental problem has resolved. The painful tooth or oral lesion may still be present.

5. Stop Brushing a Painful Mouth

Do not brush if you see:

• Bleeding

• Marked redness

• An ulcer

• A fractured tooth

• Gum tissue growing into a tooth

• Obvious pain

Home care should begin or resume only after painful disease has been assessed and treated.

6. Arrange Care According to the Signs

• Mild tartar without pain: routine examination

• Persistent bad breath or red gums: examination within days

• Broken tooth, bleeding or chewing changes: prompt examination

• Facial swelling or inability to eat: same-day care

• Breathing difficulty or uncontrolled bleeding: emergency care

Common Mistakes Owners Make

Testing Whether a Tooth Is Loose

Do not press, push or wiggle a tooth.

Mobility assessment is performed with proper instruments during a veterinary dental examination. Moving a painful or damaged tooth may cause bleeding, fracture or a bite injury.

Touching the Gumline to Provoke Jaw Chattering

Jaw chattering can be associated with oral pain, particularly tooth resorption. Deliberately trying to trigger it with a finger or cotton swab is unnecessary.

Your cat does not need to pass a pain test before being taken seriously.

Forcing the Mouth Open

Most useful home observations can be made by watching your cat and gently lifting the lips.

Forcing the jaw open causes stress, risks injury and still does not reveal most hidden dental disease.

Assuming Normal Eating Means No Pain

Many cats continue eating despite painful oral disease. Pay attention to chewing style, food dropping, grooming and behaviour.

Scraping Tartar at Home

Metal instruments can cut the gums, damage enamel and leave significant subgingival disease untreated.

A cleaner-looking crown does not mean the tooth or root is healthy.

Using Human Toothpaste or Mouth Products

Do not use:

• Human toothpaste

• Human mouthwash

• Hydrogen peroxide

• Alcohol

• Essential oils

• Human oral numbing gels

• Human pain medication

Cats swallow oral products, so only cat-safe veterinary products should be used.

Starting Brushing in a Painful Mouth

Brushing is preventive care, not a treatment for tooth resorption, a fracture, advanced periodontitis or stomatitis.

Trying to brush an already painful mouth can make your cat fearful of future handling.

Choosing Anaesthesia-Free Scaling

Removing visible tartar from an awake cat is largely cosmetic. It cannot provide full-mouth radiographs, periodontal probing, subgingival treatment or safe extraction of diseased teeth.

How Can You Protect Your Cat’s Teeth at Home?

Home care is most useful after a veterinarian has confirmed that the mouth is comfortable enough for it.

Tooth Brushing

Regular brushing is one of the most effective ways to remove plaque before it hardens.

Use:

• A cat-specific toothpaste

• A small, soft toothbrush

• Short sessions

• Gradual introduction

• Positive reinforcement

• Cooperative handling rather than restraint

Daily brushing is ideal when accepted, but a calm routine is more valuable than forcing a perfect session.

Dental Wipes

Dental wipes may be better tolerated by cats that reject a toothbrush. They can help remove plaque from the accessible outer tooth surfaces.

They should not be pushed beneath the gums or used over painful lesions.

Dental Diets, Treats and Water Additives

Products carrying the Veterinary Oral Health Council Seal have been accepted based on evidence supporting a plaque-control, tartar-control or combined claim.

Check the specific claim because a product accepted for tartar control has not necessarily demonstrated the same effect on plaque.

These products may support prevention, but they cannot:

• Repair a fractured tooth

• Reverse periodontal bone loss

• Stop tooth resorption

• Cure gingivostomatitis

• Diagnose an oral mass

• Replace dental radiographs

Routine Veterinary Checks

Veterinary oral examinations should remain part of routine health care, commonly every 6 to 12 months. Cats with previous tooth resorption, periodontitis, gingivostomatitis or extensive extractions may need a more individualised schedule.

Which Cats Need Closer Dental Monitoring?

Closer monitoring is especially important for:

• Cats with previous tooth resorption

• Cats with previous extractions

• Cats with gingivostomatitis

• Cats with known periodontal disease

• Kittens with marked gingivitis

• Cats with retained baby teeth

• Cats with abnormal tooth alignment

• Cats that have fractured a tooth

• Senior cats

• Cats that stop grooming normally

• Cats that will not tolerate home mouth checks

Home checks are helpful, but cats that refuse them still deserve routine veterinary dental assessment. Lack of cooperation does not mean lack of disease.

Will Your Cat Be Okay?

Most feline dental problems can be treated or managed once they are correctly identified.

Treatment may involve:

• Professional periodontal care

• Extraction of painful teeth

• Root canal treatment

• Management of gingivostomatitis

• Biopsy and treatment of an oral mass

• Pain relief

• Long-term plaque control

Cats generally adapt very well to necessary extractions. A tooth is only useful when it is comfortable and functional.

The real goal is not to preserve the maximum possible number of teeth. It is to provide your cat with a mouth that does not hurt while eating, grooming, yawning or playing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colour should a cat’s gums be?

Many cats have pink gums, while others have normal black, brown or grey pigmentation. More important warning signs are new redness, swelling, bleeding, ulceration, asymmetry or a raised area.

Is bad breath normal in cats?

Persistent foul breath is not normal. It commonly accompanies plaque, gingivitis, periodontitis, infected teeth, stomatitis or other oral disease and deserves veterinary assessment.

Should I wiggle a tooth that looks loose?

No. Do not test tooth mobility at home. A loose-looking tooth may be painful and could be associated with advanced periodontal disease, trauma or an oral mass.

Can my cat have dental pain and still eat?

Yes. Cats commonly continue eating with oral pain by chewing differently, swallowing food whole or avoiding certain textures. A normal appetite does not rule out dental disease.

Do cats need anaesthesia for dental X-rays?

Yes. General anaesthesia allows precise positioning, a complete oral examination, periodontal probing, airway protection and treatment of painful disease. Anaesthesia-free dental cleaning is not an equivalent alternative.

Final Thoughts

Checking your cat’s teeth at home is worthwhile, but it must remain a gentle visual check.

Watch how your cat eats. Compare both sides of the face. Smell the breath. Lift the lips briefly and look for redness, bleeding, broken teeth, changes in tooth shape, swelling or abnormal tissue.

Do not wiggle teeth, probe the gums or force the mouth open. The most important disease may be below the gumline, where only an anaesthetised examination and dental radiographs can find it.

The mistake I see most often is waiting for complete food refusal. Cats can continue eating with substantial dental pain. One-sided chewing, dropping food, bad breath, reduced grooming and subtle withdrawal are already enough reason to pay attention.

A calm home check can reveal that something is wrong. A veterinary dental examination reveals what it is and what needs to be done next.

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If you are unsure whether a change in your cat’s mouth or eating behaviour can wait, ASK A VET™ can help you assess the warning signs and prepare the right questions for your veterinary team.