Cat Dental Treats Don't Work
- Inventor Cat
- 16 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Dental cat treats can reduce surface plaque, but they do not work by themselves to prevent dental disease. This is because most only clean a narrow portion of the tooth above the gumline, miss the critical gingival sulcus where disease begins, and rely on inconsistent chewing behaviour that many cats avoid.
In other words, dental cat treats can be a supportive tool, not a complete solution. To be truly effective, dental cat treats need a flexible, porous structure that wraps around teeth, combines mechanical abrasion with enzymatic action, encourages prolonged chewing on both sides of the mouth, remains low in calories, and — most importantly — works alongside daily toothbrushing with a Dental Wand or cat toothbrush rather than replacing it.
Why Dental Cat Treats Sound Good in Theory
Most dental cat treats are designed around a simple idea: if a cat bites into a firm, textured treat, the fractured edges should scrape plaque off the tooth surface.
In principle, that makes sense. The problem is that cats are not dogs and they don’t chew like them.
Cats evolved as shear-biters, not grinders.
They use their incisors to grab, their canines to puncture, and their premolars and molars to slice and crush. This means that when a cat does chew, contact is usually limited to the back teeth (premolars and molars) on the cheek (buccal) side only.
Large portions of the mouth receive little to no cleaning from treats. Teeth along the tongue side (lingual surfaces), incisors, and canines are usually untouched by dental treats.
What this means in practice is that dental cat treats rarely contact enough tooth surfaces to meaningfully control plaque across the whole mouth.
The Real Problem: Plaque Lives Under the Gumline
Most of the marketing on dental treat miss to note that the most damaging bacteria in feline dental disease do not primarily live on visible tooth surfaces — they thrive in the gingival sulcus, the tiny pocket between the tooth and gum.
Once plaque biofilm establishes there (often within 24–48 hours), it releases toxins that trigger gingivitis, bone loss, and periodontal disease. Hard treats, no matter how well designed, simply cannot reach this area.
A review in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry confirms that mechanical chewing alone is insufficient to control subgingival plaque, which is why professional dental care and daily brushing remain the gold standard (Niemiec, 2020).
In short: if a product cannot influence the gingival sulcus, it cannot reliably prevent periodontal disease.
Why Many Cats Don’t Use Dental Treats Properly
Even if dental treats worked perfectly in theory, their effectiveness is limited by how cats actually behave.
Many cats swallow treats whole, especially if they are small, crunchy, or highly palatable. If a cat does not chew, there is virtually no dental benefit at all.
If you're using dental treats to help your cat who has dental disease they will often use only one side of their mouth to chew. This is not random preference. Cats with early dental discomfort or gingivitis typically favour the side of their mouth that hurts less, deliberately avoiding the more painful side. This means the very areas that need cleaning most are often the ones that receive the least contact.
Casey and Bradshaw (2008) demonstrated that cats’ willingness to engage with care routines is strongly influenced by comfort and stress levels — The Dental Wand allows the cat to make positive associations with the brushing experience; bringing the comfort and low stress of dental treats to toothbrushing.
Diet, chewing and what this tells us about treats
Looking at diet gives further insight into why treats alone are not enough.
Studies comparing cats fed raw or whole-prey diets with those fed ultra-processed kibble show that cats eating raw or whole-prey foods tend to have less supragingival (above-gum) calculus, likely because tearing and chewing on natural prey produces more mechanical abrasion.
This effect is similar to what dental treats are trying to mimic.
However, even these cats still develop subgingival disease without active oral care.
That tells us that mechanical chewing, whether from raw food or dental treats, can influence plaque above the gumline but does not reliably protect the gingival sulcus where periodontal disease begins.
Raw food or dental treats as a stand alone solution, will not have any positive effect on your cat to reduce dental disease.
What Good Dental Treats Look Like
A flexible, porous structure rather than rock-hard crunch
A truly useful dental treat should compress slightly when bitten so that it wraps around the tooth instead of shattering instantly. This increases contact area and prolongs engagement, rather than creating a single, brief crunch with minimal cleaning.
Mechanical and enzymatic action working together
The best designs pair gentle abrasion with enzymatic ingredients such as glucose oxidase and lactoperoxidase. These continue breaking down plaque biofilm after chewing, partly compensating for the limitations of purely mechanical cleaning.
Design that encourages longer chewing, not instant swallowing
If a treat disappears in seconds, its dental value is minimal. Effective treats are structured in a way that naturally slows consumption and encourages sustained interaction with the teeth.
A shape that supports chewing on both sides of the mouth
Because many cats avoid chewing on their painful side, an ideal treat should encourage side-to-side engagement rather than reinforcing one-sided chewing habits.
Low calorie content that supports overall health
Obesity is a major risk factor for dental disease. Dental treats that are high in calories can undermine oral health indirectly by contributing to weight gain, making them counterproductive if overused.
Independent validation, not just marketing claims
Truly credible dental treats should have evidence behind them, such as Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) acceptance or equivalent scientific evaluation, rather than relying purely on branding.
See which cat products have their seal of approval.
Our Final Thoughts
Dental cat treats are better than nothing — but they are not enough on their own because they:
Think of treats like flossing without brushing — helpful, but incomplete.
Real prevention requires a combination of daily brushing, smart treat design, regular veterinary check-ups, and behaviour-friendly tools that cats will actually accept.
A smart oral care routine uses dental treats as a reward after brushing, a support tool between brushing sessions, and a training aid to keep cats engaged with oral care.
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