10 Best Cat Toothpastes – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Unless your cat develops the world’s worst case of persistent morning breath, you may not give the state of their teeth much thought. However, dental disease is one of the most common health problems among pet cats. Not only can your cat’s mouth

become smelly and painful, but dirty teeth can also be a source of dangerous bacteria that can spread throughout the body. One of the most effective ways you can keep your cat’s teeth clean and healthy is by brushing. Effective brushing requires equally effective cat toothpaste. To help you in your quest to keep your cat free of dental disease, we’ve rounded up reviews of our picks for the 10 best cat toothpastes on the market today. Hopefully, our thoughts on these products will help you select just the right toothpaste for your kitty.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2024

The 10 Best Cat Toothpastes

1. Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Poultry Toothpaste – Best Overall

Our pick for the best overall cat toothpaste is the Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Poultry-flavored toothpaste. This brand is one of the most widely recommended by veterinarians and well-reviewed by users. One of the hardest parts of getting a cat to accept tooth brushing is the flavor of the toothpaste. No problem with that here as the chicken-flavoring is well-tolerated by cats and their dog friends alike! If your cat isn’t a poultry fan the toothpaste comes in several other flavors as well. This toothpaste uses a double enzyme formula to help stop plaque before it starts building on your cat’s teeth.

The only downside is that some users find the toothpaste too runny.

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2. Sentry Petrodex Vet Strength Malt Toothpaste – Best Value

Our choice for the best value cat toothpaste is the Sentry Petrodex Veterinary Strength Malt Toothpaste. This product is a reasonably priced, well-reviewed paste with a similar plaque and tartar fighting capabilities of our top choice. Hydrogen peroxide is the active cleaning ingredient in this toothpaste. Users also find the toothbrush and finger brush included with the dental kit just the right size for kitty mouths. Most cats seem to tolerate the malt flavor but if they don’t the toothpaste doesn’t come in other taste options.

The major complaint about this product is that some cats dislike both the smell and taste. The effectiveness of the toothpaste doesn’t matter if your cat won’t let you use it!

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3. PetSmile Professional Broil Flavor Toothpaste – Premium Choice

This Petsmile Professional Toothpaste comes with a higher price tag but requires a lot less effort from you. A brushless formula, you need only apply it to your cat’s mouth and their tongue does all the work of spreading the product across their teeth. Not an enzymatic toothpaste, Petsmile contains a substance called CalProx which dissolves the proteins that attract plaque and tartar. Available in a chicken flavor as well, this toothpaste is one of the few specifically accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC). Despite its flavor profile, the toothpaste is vegan and free of compounds like parabens and BPA that many owners prefer to avoid.

Besides the higher price, some users also dislike that this paste doesn’t specifically work to leave the cat’s breath fresh.

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4. Vetoquinol Enzadent Enzymatic Poultry Toothpaste

Vetiquinol Enzymatic Toothpaste relies on a triple enzyme combination to supply its plaque-fighting power. The formula is non-foaming, doesn’t need to be rinsed, and is safe to swallow. The toothpaste is only available in chicken flavor but it seems to be well-received by most cats. However, some owners find the product has a strong, unpleasant scent. The texture of this paste is also a bit thinner and causes a mess during use.

This product works best when combined with active brushing and is also sold as a combination kit with a toothbrush.

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5. Oratene Brushless Enzymatic Pet Oral Care

This clear, brushless toothpaste uses an all-natural, multi-enzyme process to remove plaque and reduce smelly bacteria in your cat’s mouth. It also has soothing, moisturizing properties that can help keep the kitty’s mouth from getting too dry. For best results, this Oratene product should be used twice a day which will take up a little more of your time.

Because this product is clear, it’s less messy than some other cat toothpastes. However, the gel is also unflavored and some cats dislike it because of this. However, owners do report good results with this product, both with cleaner teeth and fresher breath.

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6. Oxyfresh Dental Gel Soothing Cat Toothpaste

This all-natural, non-toxic soothing gel acts as a cleanser, soother, and deodorizer all rolled into one. An enzyme works to clean teeth and freshen breath while the addition of aloe helps calm sore or irritated gums. This product is cruelty-free and made in the USA, both factors that will appeal to certain cat owners. Though the gel is tasteless, some cats still find a way to dislike the taste of tastelessness. This product doesn’t require brushing action to work but is just applied to the cat’s gum line daily with a finger or toothbrush.

Although it is supposed to be odorless, some humans and cats do note a smell to this gel.

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7. PetsLife Peppermint Oral Care Gel

For a unique, all-natural teeth cleaning and breath sweetening product, try this Oral Care Gel from Pets Life. This product relies on essential oils and extracts to provide its cleaning power. Not only does this gel break down plaque and tartar but it also penetrates below the gum line for even more potency. While this gel can be used without brushing, it will be more effective when combined with the physical brushing action.

One downside to this product is that it can’t be used within 30 minutes of eating or drinking. The smell and taste of this product may not appeal to cats either.

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8. Arm & Hammer For Pets Cat Dental Care

The feline version of a commonly used brand of human toothpaste, the Arm & Hammer cat toothpaste uses baking soda to clean and brighten your cat’s teeth. Tuna flavored for extra kitty appeal, this product is good at making your cat’s breath fresh thanks to the odor-killing power of baking soda. Reasonably priced, this product is designed to be used only 2-3 times a week and still produce results.

Some owners report their cats didn’t care for the taste and texture of this product and they also didn’t like the smell. Most found it a good value for the money and easy to use, however.

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9. Paws And Pals Pet Dental Care

Produced by a smaller pet care brand dedicated to helping animal shelters as well as making great products, this beef-flavored toothpaste cleans teeth and helps homeless pets all at the same time! This dental pack comes with two different size toothbrushes as well to make a tidy little all-in-one teeth care kit. The beef flavor won’t appeal to all cats and there are no other options. This product is also a bit expensive and will leave your cat’s breath smelling less minty fresh and more like they just ate a hamburger. Those who find their cats do tolerate this toothpaste report that it does seem to clean teeth effectively.

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10. TevraPet Dog And Cat Oral Gel

This product is the easiest to use of all the cat toothpastes we reviewed. It’s designed to be used only once a week to improve your cat’s dental health. This oral gel contains slow-release cleaning and deodorizing ingredients, working throughout the week to remove and prevent tartar and freshen breath. The TevraPet gel uses both baking soda and an antibacterial ingredient to get the job done. This product doesn’t have a lot of reviews but those it does have are mainly positive. Owners love that they only need to use the gel once a week and find that it does seem to work as advertised.

As always, some cats may not like the taste and the texture is extra thick.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Cat Toothpaste

Now that you know the ins and outs of the best cat toothpaste options, here are a few other things you should consider before you make your final purchase.

Enzymatic Or Not?

Many of the toothpastes we reviewed use enzymes as a means of plaque and tartar cleaning. Some use other methods. Each toothpaste works in its way and the choice of which type to get is really up to you. Some people swear by enzyme cleaning, but you’ll just have to see for yourself!

How Does Your Cat Feel About Brushing?

The easiest way to get your cat used to having their teeth brushed is to start when they’re a kitten. If you’re getting a late start on a dental routine or you’ve adopted an adult cat, your toothpaste choice may come down to what your cat lets you get away with safely. One of the brushless options may be best for you, at least until you can get your cat more used to brushing.

How Bad Are Your Cat’s Teeth?

If you want to start brushing but your cat’s dental disease has already progressed to the point that your veterinarian is recommending a professional cleaning, no toothpaste is going to reverse that damage completely. Some progress may be made but keep in mind what we talked about in the introduction: dental disease can not only be painful but dangerous to your cat.

In some cases, you may need to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and have your cat’s dental work done. Afterward, get yourself one of the toothpastes from this list and start brushing! Hopefully, you can keep your cat’s teeth clean enough to avoid future dental issues.

Conclusion

As the best overall cat toothpaste, the Virbac C.E.T Enzymatic offers powerful cleaning action in multiple tasty flavors. Our best value pick, the Sentry Petrodex, only comes in one flavor but is an effective cleaner. We hope our reviews of the best cat toothpastes, plus information on the importance of dental care for your cat, have persuaded you to begin your kitty on a strict teeth cleaning routine. Your cat’s breath and overall health will be better if you do!

• See also: 6 Best Cat Toothpaste for Gingivitis and Periodontitis – Reviews & Top Picks

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Featured Image Credit: Pixel-Shot, Shutterstock