Dental disease is the most common health problem in domestic cats, yet it is chronically underdiagnosed and undertreated, causing significant and unnecessary pain for millions of animals.
Feline dental disease represents a massive hidden welfare problem because cats so effectively mask oral pain. A cat with severe periodontal disease, tooth resorption, or a dental abscess may continue to eat and behave relatively normally while experiencing significant chronic pain. This stoicism, combined with the cost and perceived complexity of veterinary dental care, leads many owners to delay or avoid treatment. Dental extractions — while seeming severe — often provide dramatic improvements in quality of life for cats with painful teeth, with many owners reporting their cat is visibly more active and comfortable post-extraction.