My cat is considered a "senior" seeing as she is 15 or 16 years old. I get her teeth cleaned every other year. She WILL NOT allow me to even try to brush her teeth. The vet sells hard treats that will prevent alot of plaque from building up, and we also give her very little wet food, mostly dry. And that helps. And as Cyn said, they do charge you extra for the bloodwork for going under anethesia, but that is optional.