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Dental Disease Hurts!
Baby Girl was rescued as a stray
by her owners in October 2011.
The fact that she had arthritis
and moderate dental disease
suggested she was probably a
senior kitty. She had tartar
covering most of her teeth as
well as some missing teeth and
at least one infected tooth. It
took a few months to get her
healthy enough for her dental procedure but it was definitely worth
it - it turned out Baby Girl had 9 diseased teeth that required
extraction! Four of the teeth had resorptive lesions.
Resorptive lesions, or Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions
(FORLs), are similar to cavities in humans, except they are not
caused by bacterial enzymes and acids. There are a number of
theories as to their origin, such as an autoimmune reaction or a
viral infection, but the cause of FORLs is still unknown. A reaction
to plaque on the teeth may also play a role in the development of
these lesions. Approximately 50% of cats are afflicted with
resorptive lesions and the incidence increases in older cats.
The lesions are usually found on the outside of the tooth where
the gum meets the crown of the tooth. FORLs are very painful
and affected cats may have signs of decreased appetite, difficulty
eating, or drooling. Many cats do not show obvious signs even
though they are in pain. If left untreated, FORLs can lead to
fracture of the affected teeth.
In Baby Girl’s case, her owners did not notice a drop in appetite
because she was new to them. When she returned home after her
dental procedure, her owner reported she "walked right up the
stairs and started asking for food. She has eaten ravenously ever
since then!"
Baby Girl was rescued as a stray
by her owners in October 2011.
The fact that she had arthritis
and moderate dental disease
suggested she was probably a
senior kitty. She had tartar
covering most of her teeth as
well as some missing teeth and
at least one infected tooth. It
took a few months to get her
healthy enough for her dental procedure but it was definitely worth
it - it turned out Baby Girl had 9 diseased teeth that required
extraction! Four of the teeth had resorptive lesions.
Resorptive lesions, or Feline Odontoclastic Resorptive Lesions
(FORLs), are similar to cavities in humans, except they are not
caused by bacterial enzymes and acids. There are a number of
theories as to their origin, such as an autoimmune reaction or a
viral infection, but the cause of FORLs is still unknown. A reaction
to plaque on the teeth may also play a role in the development of
these lesions. Approximately 50% of cats are afflicted with
resorptive lesions and the incidence increases in older cats.
The lesions are usually found on the outside of the tooth where
the gum meets the crown of the tooth. FORLs are very painful
and affected cats may have signs of decreased appetite, difficulty
eating, or drooling. Many cats do not show obvious signs even
though they are in pain. If left untreated, FORLs can lead to
fracture of the affected teeth.
In Baby Girl’s case, her owners did not notice a drop in appetite
because she was new to them. When she returned home after her
dental procedure, her owner reported she "walked right up the
stairs and started asking for food. She has eaten ravenously ever
since then!"
Take a look at Baby Girl's dental x-rays:
Place your mouse arrow over each image to see where the pathology is.
A description is included below each image.
Place your mouse arrow over each image to see where the pathology is.
A description is included below each image.
Red Arrows: bone loss around the
canine tooth root.
Orange line: where the tooth root
should be. The root of this tooth is no
longer identifiable due to resorption.
canine tooth root.
Orange line: where the tooth root
should be. The root of this tooth is no
longer identifiable due to resorption.
Black Line: This is where the jaw bone
should be, the bone has receeded down to
the blue line.
should be, the bone has receeded down to
the blue line.
Red arrows: Resorptive lesion that
is eating away at the tooth's
sensitive structures.
is eating away at the tooth's
sensitive structures.
Plaque and tartar are covering a large FORL on
one of Baby Girl's upper premolars.
one of Baby Girl's upper premolars.
With the plaque and tartar removed the resorptive
lesion can be identified.
lesion can be identified.
| after extraction. |
