Dental Care

After a dental exam with one of our veterinarians, it may be recommended that your cat receives a dental cleaning. Dental procedures are performed under general anesthetic here in the hospital. Our patients are monitored by a technician before, during and after the dental procedure. Each patient is kept warm and comfortable while receiving IV fluid therapy during and after the procedure. A scale and polish of the teeth will be performed, as well as dental x-rays to look for any potential problems. In some cases, extractions may be recommended.

Some signs of dental issues include appetite and weight loss, bad breath, drooling, pawing at the mouth area and loose, or discoloured teeth. Cats can be great at hiding things, so regular dental exams are key to staying on top of any issues.

Although all cats are at risk for dental disease, some short-nosed breeds may be at additional risk for malalignment and overcrowding of the teeth, due to their unique facial structure.

Tooth resorption occurs when cells called odontoclasts, destroy the tooth root surfaces by causing the enamel to be resorbed. As the disease progresses, the different layers of the tooth are resorbed and the pulp cavity becomes exposed, causing pain and sensitivity. The resorption continues until the tooth is weakened and ultimately fractures. In some cases, the affected teeth may need to be extracted.