Dental disease is the most common health problem affecting domestic cats, with over 70% of cats showing signs by age 3, causing chronic pain that significantly impairs quality of life when untreated.
Feline dental disease causes chronic oral pain that cats frequently endure without obvious signs, as they continue eating even with significant dental pathology. Tooth resorption, in which the tooth structure is progressively destroyed, causes severe pain comparable to a human dental cavity. Many cats experience dramatic improvement in behaviour and activity after dental treatment, indicating they had been living in chronic pain. Regular home dental care from kitten-hood and annual professional dental assessments are the foundations of welfare-centred feline dental care.