Dental disease is the most common health problem in cats, but it is largely preventable through regular veterinary dental care and appropriate home management.
Cat dental disease is simultaneously one of the most prevalent and most preventable welfare problems in companion animals. The reason most cats never receive dental care is not that it is unavailable or unaffordable — it is that owners do not realise their cats are in pain. The stoic masking of dental pain by cats means the problem is often discovered only when advanced. Regular annual examinations including dental assessment, proactive treatment of identified disease, and home prevention through toothbrushing constitute a comprehensive dental welfare programme that dramatically reduces cat suffering.