Case Story: Feline fine after a dental
Gamora, a beautiful grey and white domestic shorthair cat, presented for a routine booster vaccination and health check with us last month. No problems were reported at home – she was bright, playful and eating and drinking as normally.
On clinical examination during her consultation, it was identified that two of her teeth on her lower jaw were suffering from the common feline dental condition called Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions (FORLs). The gums were inflamed adjacent to the affected teeth and Gamora was painful on digital palpation of the teeth.
FORLs are a common and painful dental disease where a cat’s body abnormally breaks down and absorbs its own teeth. Often referred to simply as tooth resorption, this progressive condition affects an estimated 20% to 60% of all cats.
Cats frequently mask oral pain, continuing to eat normally even with advanced dental deterioration, so even though Gamora was eating normally, it was important to treat this painful condition.
The disease is triggered by cells called odontoclasts, which mistakenly destroy the hard structures of the tooth. Destruction usually begins just beneath the gum line, dissolving the tooth root. The erosion moves upward into the crown of the tooth, stripping away the outer protective enamel and exposing the highly sensitive internal pulp and nerve cavity.
Unfortunately, we cannot treat this destructive process or prevent it, we can only treat the effects of it by removing the source of the pain, namely the affected teeth.
Therefore, Gamora was booked in for a general anaesthetic and a dental. Intra-oral radiographs were taken to identify if other teeth were affected and the extent of the disease within the visibly affected teeth. As the lesions often start under the gum line, they are not identifiable to the naked eye in the early stages so dental radiographs are needed. Fortunately, Gamora had no other affected teeth save for the two already identified. The dental radiographs showed that while the enamel erosion was extensive in these teeth the roots were only partially resorbed, so a full extraction was needed of both teeth.
A local anaesthetic nerve block was used to provide further pain relief prior to performing a surgical extraction of both teeth. A surgical extraction is where a dental drill is used to burr bone away from the roots prior to elevating them from their sockets. The gum is then sutured back in place once the teeth are removed.
It wasn’t long and Gamora was back to her normal self following the procedure and 3 days later given the go ahead to back to her normal diet.
This is truly a case where preventing progression of the disease (by removing affected teeth) is better than having to treat the condition where the disease has led to either tooth fracture or pulpitis and infection.
Although some cats are asymptomatic in the early stages of the disease there are some signs you can look out for:
Altered Eating Habits: Dropping food, chewing exclusively on one side of the mouth, or swallowing kibble whole without chewing.
- Excessive salivation (drooling), jaw trembling when the tooth is touched, or frequent pawing at the mouth.
- Visible Oral Changes: Brilliantly red, inflamed gums that look like they are “growing over” or filling in a hole in the tooth.
- Behavioural Shifts: Increased irritability, hiding, or sleeping much more than usual due to chronic discomfort.
If you have any concerns regarding your pet’s teeth, do not hesitate to contact us!
