Oral Disease in Cats: Should They go to the Dentist

27 Dec SHOULD CATS GO TO THE DENTIST?

Posted at 15:52h in At-Home Dental Care, Board-Certified Vet Dentist, Dental Conditions, Feline Dental Care by MJ Redman

Cats are unique, not only in their behavior but also their medical needs. Amongst our pets, they are probably the closest to their wild counterparts. That doesn’t mean that they don’t benefit from medical care, but it does mean that they are very good at hiding their health issues. In the wild, showing signs of illness can make an animal a target for a predator, so disguising symptoms is important for survival. That’s why regular checkups with a veterinarian are so helpful for cats.

Types of Oral Disease in Cats

Cats can suffer from all different types of oral disease including fractured teeth, periodontal disease, tooth resorption, stomatitis and oral cancer. All these diseases are painful, but your cat might only have subtle signs such as being less social, eating more slowly or not wanting their face rubbed. Some cats may also show more obvious signs such as drooling, bleeding, bad breath and weight loss. Ideally, we would notice and treat oral disease before it becomes this severe.

If you have a kitten, the first thing to check is that their teeth line up properly. Almost all cat teeth are sharp and pointy, so having a tooth in the wrong place can cause a lot of pain. Most cats have normal occlusion, but some cats (especially flatter-faced breeds) may have upper premolars that are cutting into the gum tissue of the lower jaw. This condition can be treated by either extractions or by smoothing the sharp points of the teeth.
Occasionally, we see cats whose lower jaw is shorter than the upper and the lower canines are puncturing the roof of the mouth. This condition (overbite or class 2 malocclusion) can be addressed by either extractions or a board-certified veterinary dentist™ can safely shorten and cap (vital pulp treatment) the teeth.
Unlike dogs, the pulp inside a cat’s tooth remains near the surface throughout their life. That means that even a small tip fracture can expose the pulp of the tooth. The canine (or fang) teeth are the most commonly broken teeth in cats. A board-certified veterinary dentist™ can save a fractured canine by performing root canal treatment, allowing the cat to keep this important tooth. If the trauma is severe enough, a cat can end up with a fractured or dislocated jaw, both of which can be repaired by a board-certified veterinary dentist™.
Periodontal disease is extremely common in cats and dogs, but cats are unusual in that it may start as soon as their adult teeth erupt (4-6 months of age). Periodontal disease causes inflammation of the gums, gum recession and bone loss around teeth and may result in teeth needing to be extracted. Regular home and professional dental cleaning can help prevent periodontal disease. At Animal Dental Care & Oral Surgery in Fort Collins, we can help you choose home dental care products that work best for you and your cat. The Veterinary Oral Health Council website (vohc.org) is a good resource for finding dental care products that really work.
Tooth resorption is another common oral disease in cats, much more so than in dogs or humans. Tooth resorption is the destruction of the hard tissue of the tooth caused by the body’s own cells. No one knows what triggers this destruction, but it can lead to the loss of many or all the teeth. Some tooth resorption occurs above the gumline and can be seen during an awake exam, but in other cases it may affect just the roots and can only be seen with dental radiographs.
Stomatitis, or feline chronic gingivostomatitis, is another poorly understood disease that is unique to cats. This is an immune-mediated disease that causes inflammation of any or all of the soft tissue inside the mouth, not just the gum tissue. Stomatitis is extremely painful and difficult to treat. Animal Dental Care & Oral Surgery in Fort Collins is participating in a clinical trial for using stem cells to treat this disease. If your cat has been diagnosed with stomatitis, please contact us to find out more about this free treatment.
Oral cancer is a frightening diagnosis, especially because the most common tumor in cats, squamous cell carcinoma, has a poor prognosis. Keep in mind that not every growth in the mouth is cancer and many can be treated. A board-certified veterinary dentist™ can offer advanced imaging, biopsy and treatment options for oral cancer.

Final Thoughts

I bet you didn’t know that so many things could be happening in the tiny mouth of your beloved kitty! If you ever have any questions about your cat’s oral health or just want a second opinion, please give us a call. We love cats and want them to live long healthy lives. Taking care of the teeth is an important step towards that goal.

Painful sore in a cat’s right lower jaw due to contact with an upper premolar