Cat Dental Disease and Oral Welfare

Dental disease is extremely common in cats and causes significant chronic pain that often goes unrecognized due to cats instinct to hide discomfort.

Key Facts

An estimated 70% of cats over 3 years of age have some form of dental disease
Tooth resorption affects up to 60% of cats and causes severe pain as the tooth structure erodes
Cats with dental disease commonly stop grooming, eating hard food, or showing interest in play
Annual professional dental exams under anesthesia are the gold standard for detection and treatment
Daily tooth brushing prevents plaque accumulation but requires patient training from kittenhood

Welfare Considerations

Cats are stoic animals that mask pain effectively, making dental disease a particularly insidious welfare problem. A cat living with severe tooth resorption or periodontal disease may continue eating and behaving relatively normally while experiencing significant chronic oral pain. The behavioral changes that do occur — reduced grooming, food preference changes, withdrawal — are often attributed to personality or aging rather than pain. Routine dental assessment and professional cleaning under anesthesia are essential for maintaining oral welfare in companion cats throughout their lives.

What You Can Do

Include a dental examination at every annual vet visit for your cat
Learn the behavioral signs of dental pain including reluctance to eat hard food and reduced grooming
Begin tooth brushing or dental chew routines with young cats to establish lifelong oral hygiene habits
Schedule professional dental cleaning if your vet identifies disease or calculus accumulation