How veterinary recognition and treatment of feline tooth resorption prevents prolonged pain in one of the most common feline dental conditions.
Tooth resorption is an almost universal finding in older cats but one whose impact on welfare is frequently underestimated. The pain from resorption lesions is assumed to be significant — comparable to the sensation caused by exposed dentine and pulp in human dental pain. Yet cats mask this pain effectively, maintaining apparently normal eating and social behaviour while experiencing chronic oral discomfort. The post-treatment response reveals the hidden welfare burden: cats whose resorbing teeth are extracted typically show immediate and dramatic improvements in behaviour, appetite, and comfort that owners often describe as making the cat seem years younger. Dental radiography, which reveals the true extent of resorption, is the essential diagnostic tool that most feline welfare dental care requires.