Cat Tooth Resorption

Full mouth veterinary dental radiographs are needed for both diagnosis and treatment.

Cat tooth resorption. What is tooth resorption. It generally begins below the gum line with resorption of the cementum or more rarely at or above the gum line with resorption of enamel. Intraoral dental radiograph of the mandibular left of a cat with type 1 resorption. Additionally watch for excess drooling or if your cat is only chewing on one side of its mouth.

This problem is the most common oral disease found in cats affecting up to 60 percent of domestic felines. In type ii tooth resorption the tooth root is being replaced with bone. A cat rsquo s tooth has an upper portion crown and a lower portion root. There are two predominant types of tooth resorption which are type i and type ii.

The only treatment for teeth with type i resorption is surgical extraction. If you notice any of these symptoms take your cat to the vet immediately for an exam and x rays. Depending on what stage of teeth resorption your cat is in you might need to have the. It also contains an inner canal filled with nerves blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.

The cause says jennifer rawlinson dvm chief of the dentistry and oral surgery section at cornell university s college of veterinary medicine is unknown. Complete extraction is necessary in this case due to intact periodontal ligament purple arrow intact endodontic system yellow arrow periodontal disease as evidenced by the alveolar bone loss blue arrow and. Tooth resorption is a common condition affecting an estimated 20 percent to 60 percent of all cats and close to three quarters of those five years of age and older. Once the sensitive dentin is exposed tooth resorption is painful and manifests as muscular spasms or trembling of the jaw whenever the lesion is touched.

Types of tooth resorption in cats. Tooth resorption in cats unfortunately often goes undiagnosed. You might also see or feel a bony bulge above its teeth that may protrude through the gums. Sometimes odontoclast cells will begin to mistakenly break down.

Females and cats over five years of age are more prone to tooth resorption. Treatment for type ii tooth resorption often involves coronectomy crown amputation. Tooth resorption is a condition in cats where their body starts to break down and absorb the structures of a tooth. In type i tooth resorption most of the tooth structure is intact with tooth defects within the crown and or root.

Periodontal disease oral neoplasia particularly squamous cell carcinoma feline stomatitis and tooth resorption. If your cat has tooth resorption she may show increased salivation oral bleeding or difficulty eating. Tooth resorption starts when odontoclast cells begin to attack healthy teeth. The third premolar 308 has an early lesion and the first premolar has been incorrectly treated with crown amputation allowing the continuation of the periodontal and endodontic infection.

Tooth resorption in cats has previously referred to by several terms including cervical line lesions resorptive lesions and feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions forls. The condition occurs when cells called odontoclasts destroy the tooth s surface. The inner portion is surrounded by a hard bone like substance called dentin. Tooth resorption is a pathologic process that results in the loss of tooth structure.

Any tooth can be affected by tooth resorption but the mandibular premolars bottom cheek teeth are most commonly diseased.