Dental disease affects the majority of cats over three years of age, causing chronic oral pain that significantly compromises welfare — yet is frequently underrecognised by owners and sometimes undertreated by veterinarians.
Cats with severe dental disease experience constant oral pain that affects their behaviour, appetite, and interaction with owners. Because cats suppress pain behaviour and continue eating even with severely diseased teeth, owners often fail to recognise the degree of suffering until post-extraction recovery reveals dramatically improved energy and behaviour. Tooth resorption cannot be treated with filling — extraction is the only pain-relieving option. Delayed treatment allows months to years of preventable pain. Regular anaesthetic dental assessments with radiography are the standard of care.