Dental disease is the most common health problem in domestic cats, affecting the majority of cats over three years old. Proactive dental care prevents significant pain and systemic illness.
Dental disease causes chronic, often severe pain that profoundly affects cat quality of life. Because cats instinctively hide pain — an evolutionary adaptation to avoid appearing vulnerable — owners frequently do not recognize that their cat is suffering. Signs are subtle: preference for soft food, reduced grooming, mild behavior change, or slight facial tension. Regular veterinary dental examinations under anesthesia allow proper assessment and treatment of disease invisible to the naked eye. Home care through dental diets, dental chews, and ideally tooth brushing prevents accumulation of plaque and tartar. Addressing dental disease surgically — through tooth extraction when needed — often produces dramatic improvements in cat welfare, with previously withdrawn cats becoming visibly more comfortable and playful.