Dental disease affects over 70% of cats over three years of age, causing chronic oral pain that owners frequently fail to recognise. Preventive dental care and early treatment dramatically reduce suffering from this near-universal welfare problem.
Chronic dental pain is one of the most prevalent and under-recognised welfare problems in companion cats. Cats with severe periodontal disease or resorptive lesions are in continuous pain that affects their quality of life every time they eat. Many owners notice dramatic behaviour changes — increased affection, playfulness, improved appetite — only after dental treatment resolves pain they had not previously recognised. The welfare solution combines prevention through tooth brushing and dental diets with regular professional dental assessments. Cats whose dental pain is identified and treated experience substantial welfare improvements. Normalising dental care as a routine veterinary service — rather than an optional extra — requires both owner education and proactive veterinary recommendation.