Cat Dental Care?

I adopted two adult cats last year. I took one to a vet this
past week for his annual physical. The vet pointed out a few
places on his teeth that, he says, have a buildup of bad
stuff and also a place where the gums do not look healthy,
so there may be a tooth etc. infection. He recommended
having my cat go under anesthesia for

(1) scaling and polishing
(2) one (maybe more?) possible tooth extraction
(3) "Oravet" application (he didn't mention this when I saw
him, so I didn't ask then)

The front desk of the Vet's office put everything on an
estimate sheet. The sheet also lists an "Ovavet Home Care
Kit.

--Any thoughts on this Oravet treatment?

--How often do people here have their cat put under for
tooth scaling and polishing?

--How often can one expect one's cat to face an infected
tooth and so need extraction?

I'm still a little skeptical "dental care for cats," since
when I was a kid, it simply wasn't done. But, sure, it makes
sense. I have had two infected teeth in my life so I sure
don't want my cats to go through this kind of pain or,
ultimately, worse. I have gone ahead and made an appointment
for my cat to go under and get the care listed above, but I
want to be more informed on this subject.

I do give my two cats "Greenies" every few weeks.

I lost a cat through stupidity last year (some of you may
recall, and thanks again to all you strangers who reached
out), so I am trying to be more careful.

TIA

Hi Elle:

If you read some of my earlier thread, "How safe are teeth cleanings with
anesthesia?" you'll find that I'm fast appreciating the importance of
getting a cat's teeth cleaned (or at the very least examined). My cat's
condition was/is pretty bad but I can only imagine what it would have been
had I waited any longer.

Here's some useful links I've since found:

http://www.bestpetvet.com/dental.html

http://www.bestpetvet.com/bad_breath.html

http://www.flippyscatpage.com/kittytrivia.html

http://www.bestpetvet.com/accidents_...litterbox.html



"Elle" wrote in message
ink.net...
I adopted two adult cats last year. I took one to a vet this past week for
his annual physical. The vet pointed out a few places on his teeth that, he
says, have a buildup of bad stuff and also a place where the gums do not
look healthy, so there may be a tooth etc. infection. He recommended having
my cat go under anesthesia for

Mike, I am indeed following the thread you started. Thank
you for the links. I hope your cat is okay. E

"Mike" wrote
Hi Elle:

If you read some of my earlier thread, "How safe are teeth
cleanings with anesthesia?" you'll find that I'm fast
appreciating the importance of getting a cat's teeth
cleaned (or at the very least examined). My cat's
condition was/is pretty bad but I can only imagine what it
would have been had I waited any longer.

Here's some useful links I've since found:

http://www.bestpetvet.com/dental.html

http://www.bestpetvet.com/bad_breath.html

http://www.flippyscatpage.com/kittytrivia.html

http://www.bestpetvet.com/accidents_...litterbox.html



"Elle" wrote in message
ink.net...
I adopted two adult cats last year. I took one to a vet
this past week for his annual physical. The vet pointed
out a few places on his teeth that, he says, have a
buildup of bad stuff and also a place where the gums do
not look healthy, so there may be a tooth etc. infection.
He recommended having my cat go under anesthesia for