Feline patients are subject to most of the same dental problems that plague dogs, but they do have a few dental conditions that are somewhat unique. When we examine cats for dental problems, these “cat specific” diseases are always at the top of our list of things to look for.
      Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions have many other names, including Feline Cavities, Neck Lesions, Cervical Erosions, Cervical Cavities, and others. Most cats over the age of five have one or more of these painful cavities at or under the gum line. They start as small defects in the tooth structure, and lead to invasion of the tooth by cells that gradually remove tooth structure and replace it with bone. The nerve is frequently exposed, causing discomfort. Many times the tooth breaks off, leaving a painful retained root in the jaw. The lesions can be very small, yet be associated with a large loss of tooth structure. Treatment usually involves extraction, as most of these teeth are not amenable to restoration. When extracting these teeth, every effort should be made to remove all of the root structure. Some practitioners simply cut off the visible crown of the tooth, leaving the root structures to be resorbed over time. This may lead to delayed healing. If your cat has “missing teeth”, they quite likely have been lost from this process. Dental radiographs are usually required to guide treatment decisions.

After cleaning, some red areas are ----noted at the gum line. Radiograph to the right.	Arrows point to missing premolar with retained roots and a cavity that has almost eaten all the way through the root of the adjacent premolar.

      The canine teeth (fangs) of cats commonly have very small fractures of the tips of the teeth. Cats do not have as many fractured teeth as dogs, but this one fracture type occurs frequently. These fractures usually expose the pulp chamber (nerve chamber) leading to the death and infection of the tooth. Because the exposure of the pulp chamber is so small, it can be hard to visualize. We see many cats with almost total destruction of the tooth occurring under the gum line, yet the tooth appears normal on visual inspection. Any fractured canine tooth in a cat, regardless of fracture size, should be radiographed and inspected closely under anesthesia to make sure the tooth is not diseased. These teeth are frequently overlooked by general practitioners. If diagnosed early in the process, these teeth can usually be saved, avoiding the pain of long-term infection and trauma of extraction of these long-rooted teeth.

CASE #2

Upper canine tooth of feline patient with a small fracture at the tip of the tooth.	Radiograph of this tooth showing enlarged root canal and total destruction of most of the root, secondary to infection. This tooth could not be saved and was extracted. The patient felt much better within a few days.

      Stomatitis, also known as Lymphocytic/plasmacytic Stomatitis Faucitis or Ulcerative Stomatitis is a very debilitating disease that will frequently lead to loss of all the teeth in cats at a very early age. The disease is possibly caused by an inappropriate over reaction of the immune system to plaque that is present on the teeth. This heightened immune response leads to severe oral inflammation, oral ulcers, foul breath, resorption of hard dental tissues, and difficulty in eating, sometimes at a very early age. Some patients have large areas of their oral cavity affected with painful, raw areas. This is a very painful condition for the cat, and requires aggressive treatment. Some cats respond to medical treatment, which revolves around meticulous plaque control and anti-inflammatory medication. For many cats, extraction of most of the teeth provides the best solution.

CASE #3

Feline patient with severe stomatitis. Arrows point to ulcerated areas.	Arrows point to ulcerations on the gums.
	Note the severely inflamed, painful areas in the back of both sides of the throat.