Advanced examination of feline tooth resorption — its pathophysiology, classification types, management decisions, and the emerging research on causes and prevention.
The welfare urgency of feline tooth resorption has not diminished with improved understanding of its classification and treatment — the condition remains one of the most common sources of chronic oral pain in domestic cats globally. The classification system has improved treatment welfare by enabling crown amputation for Type 2 lesions — a less invasive and lower-risk procedure than full extraction — but Type 1 lesions still require full extraction to prevent ongoing pain from root remnants. The most significant welfare advance needed in this field is identification of a preventable cause — current prevention strategies are speculative pending more definitive causal research. Regular dental radiographic monitoring remains the most welfare-positive available approach to early detection and appropriate treatment.