Classic tooth resorption in a kitty

Allie is a very sweet kitty that was presented for regular professional dental care.  She had some very classic tooth resorption.

First a little background information about tooth resorption (TR) in cats.  TR in cats is a common problem that is characterized by a progressive resorption of dental hard structures.  Prevelance rates vary widely but more than 50% of cats over 5 years of age may be affected. We still do not understand why cats develop TR, but we do know that it is not just a recent problem.  Cats have had TR lesions for a long time.  One study from the Schlid excavation of a 13th and 14th century German village found several cat mandibles and one skull that had visual TR.   We also know that it can be very painful as the crown is destroyed.  And it is the most common dental problem that I see in cats.

Back to Allie.  The reason I say that Allie had classic lesions is because of the specific teeth that were affected in her mouth.  It seems that the mandibular 3rd premolars in our domestic cats have the greatest tendency to be affected by TR.  One study found that the mandibular 3rd premolars were affected over 90% of the time that a cat has any TR in the mouth.  So on all our kitty examinations we always look very closely at the teeth, but pay special attention to the mandibular 3rd premolars for this reason. 

In the first image of her right mandible the 3rd mandibular premolar is the first tooth after the large canine tooth.

Here is a close-up.

And here is the radiograph.

The crown and the distal root are diseased.  The root structures were visible on the radiograph so they needed to be extracted.  In some cases the root structure has completely resorbed and been replaced by bone.  In these cases the roots may not need to be removed.  The decision to remove roots is determined by review of dental radiographs.  This is just one more reason that modern veterinary dentistry requires dental radiographs.

Allie's other mandibular 3rd premolar also needed to be extracted.  She did great with the surgery and was a pleasure to treat.

Visit westsideanimal.com to learn more about veterinary dentistry.