Cat Dentist In Cambridge
Dental disease is the most common disease of cats. Most cats over five years old will suffer from some form of dental disease, ranging from mild gingivitis, painful tooth abscesses or feline resorptive lesions.
Signs of dental disease are very difficult to detect and cats often eat normally, despite significant pain, which only becomes apparent after appropriate treatment.
Studies have shown that advanced periodontal disease can lead to problems with the heart, liver, and kidneys and complicate management of other diseases, such as diabetes.
The clinic is passionate about preventative care and regular dental check-ups are an important part of this. On-going management at home is vital to prevent gingivitis and progression of dental disease. Regular tooth brushing may sound like an impossible goal for most cat owners, but we can provide a few suggestions for getting you and your cat into a routine. Certain diets and treats claim to help reduce plaque and the formation of tartar, and may be of some benefit.
Treating dental disease requires a general anaesthetic and careful examination of each tooth. Special dental x-rays are taken to look at the tooth below the gum line, as the majority of the tooth is hidden from view. Tartar and plaque are removed and the teeth are scaled and polished.
If dental disease is advanced, then tooth extraction is the only option. In cats, extractions may be particularly challenging and x-rays are vital to ensure that this is carried out appropriately and with the least trauma possible. Pain management is carefully considered at Cambridge Cat Clinic, and we use local anaesthetic blocks where possible to make our patients comfortable during and after dentistry.
For more information, please contact us to speak to a member of our cat clinic team.