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Invisible Tooth Holes
Patient Name: Max
Patient Problem: Hole in Tooth
Cats suffer from a very common problem where they develop cavities in their teeth. Just like us humans, these cavities expose the sensitive pulp of the tooth and cause a lot of pain when eating.
Cats affected will often not eat biscuits on the side of the mouth where there is a hole in the tooth. Or worse, if there are holes in several teeth (which is quite common) they can stop eating biscuits altogether. It is not uncommon for a cat with a sore tooth to grind its teeth as a way of trying to deal with the pain.
Needless to say, these cats are in a lot of pain. But cats tend not to show pain in ways we recognise. They sleep more, groom and eat less. Most commonly they just eat in a fussy way or stay away from dry food.
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This is why most cat owners are completely unaware of the problem and many cats have to suffer with this type of issue for months and even years.
What We Did...
Max’s owner was given an estimate for the treatment and was booked in to have a dental procedure with Dr Hannah Parkin to remove his tooth on the same day.
One of the things that all good pet dentists do is to take X-rays and that’s when we discovered just how bad Max’s teeth were.
Though we could only see one hole by looking in his mouth, the X-rays allowed Dr Hannah to see all of the tooth roots which sit in the jaw bone and so cannot be seen with the naked eye.
What we found in Max’s case was four other teeth had holes developing beneath the gumline. If these had been left untreated then Max would have developed severe pain as his teeth weakened and eventually the crowns broke off. Instead, we were able to extract the affected teeth and give Max strong painkillers to make sure he was comfortable after the procedure.
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10 days later, at his recheck appointment, Max had made a full recovery. He was happy and playing well at home. He was also eating normally and his gums had all healed.
What the Doctor Said
The takeaway for me from this case is that cats can seem completely normal on the outside, yet be suffering with an extremely painful condition on the inside. This is why we recommend a six monthly dental check up. It’s really the only way to be certain everything is good in your pet’s mouth.
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- Dr. Hannah Parkin
What the Pet Owner Said
I was extremely happy having Max treated so quickly and being kept informed about what was happening. I am very happy with Roundwood Vets especially the follow-up treatment. I am happy to recommend them as a caring surgery.
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Mrs Geary (Max's Owner)
