Cat Dental Care

At Barriefield Animal Hospital, we offer complete oral health assessment and treatment including extraction of painful or diseased teeth if necessary. Digital dental radiographs allow us to assess the health of each tooth above and below the gum line, and to catch and treat problems before they cause discomfort. Your pet is closely monitored while under anesthesia by a registered veterinary technician. All teeth are scaled, not only to remove the obvious tartar on the crowns but also below the gum line and between the teeth. The teeth are then polished to smooth the enamel and slow the deposition of tartar.

Signs of dental disease include redness and swelling of the gums, decreased appetite or difficulty chewing, and foul odour to the breath. Often, cats will mask the signs of dental discomfort, however, so it is important to have your cat’s teeth checked every year at their annual exam, as well as any time a concern is noted.

Certain breeds of cats with shorter faces and jaws can have dental malocclusion, which predisposes them to more dental issues.

Feline tooth resorption is an extremely common and painful condition that occurs in cats of all breeds and ages. Cells in the cat’s body resorb (eat away at) parts of the tooth crown or root, and eventually, the pulp chamber of the tooth is exposed to the oral cavity. Unfortunately, we do not fully know what causes tooth resorption, only that it is irreversible and painful. We recommend any teeth that are resorbing and causing pain to be extracted, as there is no way to slow or reverse the process.