Dental disease is the most common health problem in domestic cats, affecting the majority of adults and causing chronic pain that often goes unrecognized and untreated.
Cat dental disease represents a vast and largely hidden welfare problem. Because cats are highly stoic and continue eating even with significant oral pain, owners frequently miss dental disease entirely until the cat undergoes a routine veterinary examination. Feline tooth resorption — a painful condition where the tooth structure is progressively destroyed from within — affects between one-third and two-thirds of adult cats and causes persistent pain that would be recognized as severe in a dental patient. The welfare cost of untreated dental disease is amplified by the cats inability to communicate pain in ways humans recognize. Veterinary dental assessments should be a routine part of annual checkups. Pre-anesthetic bloodwork has significantly reduced anesthetic risks, making professional dental cleaning accessible and appropriate for most adult cats.