Raw chicken wings to chew on are supposed to prevent tartar in cats. However as most cats are used to cooked (canned or pouch) food or dry food there is that look they give you that goes something like...and whaddamisposedtado with THIS may I ask?
Then it gets dragged all round the carpet leaving greasy smells
There are also some things that look like little sushi rolls, come in a foil pouch and are expensive and don't know what they contain but mine found them rather exciting and palatable, but I don't give them now. They just have dental cleaning every 2-3 years and I just grit MY teeth and pay it (and postpone my own dentistry ) I have read on CRF sites that not getting rid of the tartar can help lead to kidney failure and other diseases from the toxins that are released by the gums when there is gingivitis setting in from the tartar. Whiskas also make some little biscuit things that come in a drum called Dentabits, my girls didn't like them much and they are full of additives etc so I didn't encourage them.
Over here you can get little rubber things with soft spikes on to fit on the end of your finger. Then you can spend quality bonding time with your furbaby while they are on your lap, by trying to get their head to stop swinging from side to side and the teeth puncturing the rubber thing and your finger, saliva all over your sleeves...