Dental disease is the most common health problem in cats; addressing it significantly improves quality of life for the majority of adult cats who are affected.
Feline dental disease is chronically underdiagnosed and undertreated, causing enormous preventable suffering. Cats with dental pain eat less, groom less, and interact less — but owners frequently mistake this for normal aging rather than treatable pain. Tooth resorption is particularly insidious: lesions develop below the gumline, causing severe pain that is invisible without dental X-rays. Stomatitis can make eating agonizing. Professional dental treatment under anesthesia, including dental X-rays, allows comprehensive assessment and treatment — including extraction of resorbing or infected teeth that are sources of chronic pain. Post-extraction, most cats show remarkable behavioral improvement as pain resolves. Home prevention through daily brushing, dental diets, and water additives slows disease progression.