Companion Animal Welfare: Dental Disease in Cats

Dental disease is the most prevalent health problem in cats over 3 years of age and causes chronic oral pain that significantly impairs quality of life.

Key Facts

An estimated 70-90% of cats over 3 years have some degree of dental disease
Feline oral resorptive lesions (FORLs) are painful cavity-like lesions in teeth that require extraction
Periodontal disease causes pain, loose teeth, difficulty eating and systemic bacterial spread
Cats are stoic - dental pain is rarely shown overtly, leading to undertreatment
Annual dental examinations under anaesthesia enable proper assessment and early treatment

Welfare Considerations

Dental disease is a silent epidemic of chronic pain in the cat population. The stoic nature of cats means that owners rarely recognise dental pain until advanced disease is present. Cats adapt their eating habits around dental pain - preferring soft food, eating on one side - without showing obvious signs of distress. Annual professional dental examination and cleaning, combined with home dental care where accepted, significantly reduces the welfare burden of dental disease.

What You Can Do

Schedule annual dental examinations for cats, ideally including oral radiographs
Introduce tooth brushing from kittenhood as the gold standard home dental care
Ask your vet about dental health at every wellness visit
Learn to recognise subtle signs of dental pain including food dropping and facial asymmetry