Dental disease affects over 70% of cats over 3 years of age, causing chronic oral pain that significantly compromises welfare and is largely preventable with appropriate oral hygiene measures.
Feline dental disease causes chronic oral pain that profoundly affects quality of life despite cats rarely showing obvious pain signs. Cats with severe dental disease may reduce food intake, show changes in food preference, become less active, and decrease grooming — subtle changes owners may attribute to aging rather than pain. The welfare impact of chronic, unrecognised dental pain across the majority of adult cats represents one of the most significant preventable welfare problems in companion animal medicine. Annual dental assessment and appropriate treatment combined with preventive tooth brushing where tolerated can substantially reduce the dental disease burden in feline populations.