
Katelynn Sobus / Cats.com
Did you know that periodontal disease doesn’t only impact your cat’s teeth and gums? As the disease progresses, bacteria and toxins spread from the mouth into the bloodstream and then into the organs, contributing to organ failure and other serious dental health issues.
This is why staying on top of your cat’s dental hygiene is so important! It’s one of the best things you can do for their overall health.
Dental treats are a simple, proven solution that can be combined with brushing your cat’s teeth to combat plaque and tartar development. However, not every dental treat is equally effective. Here are our top eight picks, tested and reviewed.
At a Glance: 8 Best Dental Cat Treats To Buy
In the comparison table below, we’ve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. You’ll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Crunchy Bites Dental Cat Treats
- Large, porous treats surround and clean teeth as cats chew
- Cats enjoy the taste
- Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted and proven to fight plaque and tartar
Greenies Feline Oven Roasted Chicken Flavor Adult Natural Dental Cat Treats
- Unique shape cleans down to the gumline
- Comes in four delicious flavors which include catnip, oven roasted chicken, savory salmon, and tempting tuna
- Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted and proven to fight tartar
Purina DentaLife Tasty Chicken Flavor Dental Cat Treats
- Large, porous treats surround and clean teeth as cats chew
- Comes in salmon and chicken flavors
- Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted and proven to fight tartar
WHIMZEES by Wellness Natural Chicken & Tuna Dental Cat Treats
- Crunchy, porous treats scrape teeth clean as cats chew
- Comes in chicken, chicken and salmon, and chicken and tuna flavors
- Follows AAFCO guidance for a complete and balanced diet
VetriScience Perio Plus Everyday Health Feline Bites Dental Cat Treats
- Includes pumice to gently clean teeth and natural zeolite to freshen your cat’s breath
- Added probiotics and nutrients help support full-body health
- Chewy texture for cats who dislike crunchy treats
WholeHearted Smart Smiles Cat Dental Treats
- Contains sodium hexametaphosphate to fight tartar and mint flavor to freshen breath
- Comes in chicken and catnip flavors
- Grain-free with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
ProDen PlaqueOff Powder Dog & Cat Supplement
- Powder can be sprinkled onto wet or dry cat food
- Comes with its own scoop for easy measuring
- Veterinary Oral Health Council accepted and proven to fight plaque and tartar
WoLover Silvervine Sticks for Cats
- Long-lasting and effective
- Abrasive surface scrapes teeth clean, reducing plaque and tartar
- Silvervine encourages cats to have fun, reducing boredom and stress and contributing to their overall wellbeing
How Do Cat Dental Treats Work?
Scientists estimate that over 85% of cats over the age of six suffer from dental disease. This is a huge number, and it highlights how essential it is to care for our cats’ teeth.
Brushing your cat’s teeth daily is, hands-down, the best way to do this. Unfortunately, nothing works as well as manually scrubbing those chompers clean!
It’s also important to schedule routine dental cleanings with your veterinarian if possible. This gives your cat’s mouth a deeper clean than you can get at home, just like human dental cleanings. It also gives your veterinarian a chance to catch dental issues early, before they turn into a larger problem.
However, dental treats can be a good addition to your cat’s dental care routine. If you can’t brush your cat’s teeth, or are still working on training them to accept the process, dental treats and other proven solutions are better than nothing!
The tricky thing about dental treats for cats is that they don’t tend to chew their food. While it was formerly believed that kibble helped to clean cats’ teeth, this has largely been disproven, and we now know that it has minimal benefit unless the food has been formulated specifically for that purpose. We also know that foods that are higher in carbohydrates, calcium, and phosphorus can lead to an increase in tartar buildup.
The ideal dental treats are large enough to force your cat to chew. They’re low in carbohydrates and often include ingredients proven to fight plaque and tartar buildup.
Why Trust Cats.com
Since our own testing period was short and focused on palatability, we chose products based on thorough research into what makes a good cat dental treat. This included choosing veterinarian-trusted brands, treats accepted by the Veterinary Oral Health Council, and formulas that include science-backed ingredients for cleaner teeth and fresher breath.
While testing each treat on our list, I took notes on how eagerly my cats ate them and how much they chewed each treat. I also looked into whether there were different flavors for picky cats and what other reviewers’ cats thought of the treats.
Top 8 Cat Dental Treats
The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets crunchy bites are our favorite dental treats for cats because they clean teeth effectively. They’re backed by science and on the VOHC list of accepted cat dental products.
However, every cat has different tastes and preferences. That’s why we’ve provided more options on today’s list, including the most affordable dental treats, the tastiest according to my five kitty taste testers, and even a couple of alternatives such as dental powder and dental chews.
How to Choose the Best Dental Treats for Your Cat?
Here are a few things to consider before buying cat dental treats:
Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC) Acceptance
When I’m purchasing dental hygiene products for my cats, the first thing I check is the VOHC list of accepted products. It contains dental diets, toothpastes, treats, and more.
Their list of accepted cat products is pretty small, and a product can be effective without being on the list. Products on the list have simply been tested for efficacy, so we know that they work to combat plaque, tartar, or both.
Dental Treats vs. Other Cat Dental Products
Of course, you’ll also want to consider whether treats are the right way to keep your cat’s teeth clean. As we discussed above, treats are best used alongside brushing your cat’s teeth and not as an alternative.
Other products that can be used in addition to brushing the teeth include:
- Dental powders
- Oral gels and sprays
- Dental wipes
- Water additives
- Safe chews for cats such as silvervine sticks
- Dental diets
Each of these comes with their own benefits and drawbacks. My veterinarian recommends dental sprays as the second-best alternative to toothbrushing, but some cats may be scared of the spray, especially if they’ve had a spray bottle used on them in the past.
Dental powders and water additives are also great choices, but it’s important to make sure they don’t interfere with your cat’s willingness to eat or drink. Since proper hydration is so important for cats, I choose not to mess with my own cats’ water in this way.
Lastly, there are several dental diets on the market from reputable brands including Hill’s, Purina Pro Plan, and Royal Canin. These require a prescription from a veterinarian, however, and are much more costly than your average cat food.
What About Homemade Dental Treats?
Homemade dental treats usually consist of bones for your cat to chew on. While this will help to break up tartar and clean your cat’s teeth, it comes with some significant risks.
You may already know that cooked bones have a much higher chance of splintering, which makes them unsafe for cats. If eaten, these splinters may damage your cat’s digestive tract.
Bones in general may crack or chip your cat’s teeth, and pieces of bone, if swallowed, pose a choking hazard. They may also get stuck in your cat’s digestive system, causing blockages that may require surgery to remove.
Raw bones can contain harmful bacteria, which may cause illness in your cat, other pets, and human family members. Even if you’re careful about cleaning up your food preparation area, this bacteria may spread to any surface the bone touches and anything your cat licks after eating.
Overall, while feeding your cat bones may seem like a natural, healthy way to clean their teeth, it’s better to brush your cat’s teeth or offer dental treats made with fully-cooked meat ingredients. If you’d like to give your cat something to chew on, consider silvervine sticks like the WoLover silvervine sticks reviewed above.
Relevant Content:
- Best Toothbrushes For Cats
- Bad Breath In Cats: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment
- Best Dental Toothpaste For Cats
- Best Cat Treats
*Veterinary review of this article includes only the medical information in this article. The veterinarian reviewing this article does not personally endorse, recommend, or vouch for the efficacy or claims of any product mentioned in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do dental treats for cats work?
It depends on the ingredients and the mechanism they use to remove plaque. Crunchy dental treats offer limited benefits in terms of scraping away plaque but some dental cat treats contain enzymes that help counter oral bacteria or contain breath-freshening ingredients.
How can I improve my cat’s dental health?
The best way to improve your cat’s dental health is to implement a similar oral hygiene regimen similar to your own. Ideally, you should be brushing your cat’s teeth daily and having his teeth checked by a veterinarian at least once a year.
How can I clean my cat’s teeth naturally?
Dental cat treats made with natural ingredients may help with surface plaque and bacteria, but the best thing you can do is brush your cat’s teeth. Giving your cat raw bones to chew on may help as well.







Have you tested / reviewed Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Purina Dental Bites Cat Treats? Would love to hear how they stack up with the Purina treats on your list.
Not yet but we will add it to our list
I would love to use the ProDen Powder but, on their website, it says it’s not suggested for cats with Hyperthyroidism; since our cat is in the “grey zone” I decided to not get them. I always use the Purina Dentalife; would you suggest that Vetriscience has a better result?
Hi Lorena! While some cat owners report good results with Vetriscience dental treats, Dentalife has been scientifically tested and is approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council to help control tartar.
THANK YOU! I’ll stick to them then 🙂
Thanks for the article on cat dental treats. However, everyone of these treats (even the fish flavored one) contain chicken or chicken by products. Many cats are allergic to chicken. I have looked high and low for a dental cat treat without chicken. PLEASE HELP!
Hi there. There are very few dental treats that are even proven to work, so I would recommend considering other options, including water additives. See the VOHC list of approved products for cats.
Crunchy chewsticks are excellent for removing plaque !
I always buy freezedried raw meat treats and my cats’teeth are cleaner and her breath is much better.
Unless you want to find out how much cancer treatment costs for a cat, stay clear of all of these. Especially the greenies.
Simple fact; wild cats are hyper-carnivores, meaning that the majority of their caloric intake is other animals. What makes your house cat any different? Bobcats don’t dig up roots and tubers. Leopards don’t climb trees looking for fruits. Tigers don’t eat leaves and grasses. Jaguars don’t hunt corn and rice.
Give. Your. Cats and Dogs. MEAT! You can get all kinds of treats that are dehydrated pieces of a single ingredient. And it’s meat, or liver. Not by-product. Not meal.
Not sure that plain dehydrated meat has been shown to improve dental health. I’ve heard good things about raw chicken necks. I tried them and my cat LOVED them, but I had to stop giving them to her because she would play with them and drag them all over the floor while eating and get bacteria all over the place. If anyone does try chicken necks, be sure NOT to cook them as the bones will become dried out and brittle and could kill your cat.
Don’t feed your cat Greenies unless you want your cat’s teeth broken, especially elderly cats.
Have you seen this? I’ve never heard of such an issue.
I ordered some of the Intellident cat treats from Entirely Pets on Nov. 17. Called customer service twice and left my number for a callback which never came. Finally got a hold of them before Christmas. I was told they were back ordered and wait for 2-3 weeks. On Jan. 15 I still have not received. Absolutely terrible customer service! Do not order from this website.
Virbac has reformulated and renamed it’s cat dental treats. They are now called Intellidents but I can’t find its anywhere.
Thank you for letting us know! It looks like the new product is not as widely-appreciated as the original chews, but you can purchase them through Entirely Pets: https://www.entirelypets.com/cet-intellident-cat-bites-90-count.html
I buy these Intellident chews on Amazon. They aren’t a super high value treat for her, but she likes them, and you only have to give cats three of these per day so you aren’t increasing their caloric/carbohydrate intake by too much. I don’t brush her teeth and I just came back from the vet who told me that her teeth are in perfect shape. She said to keep up whatever I’m doing, so I guess these chews work.
Hartz Dental treats have excellent ingredients in them and I was shocked to see they’re loaded with vitamins. Why they had to even mention Vegetable oil preserved with BHT&BHA is laughable unless it was a pure vegetable oil treat!