Don’t Ignore This ‘Red Flag’ – It’s a Major Sign of Pain in Your Pet

In cats, untreated gum disease leads to receded gums and loose or missing teeth that can trigger teeth grinding. Bruxism in cats is a common problem.

Key takeaways:

• Pain is the most common cause of teeth grinding in cats often due to bad alignment of teeth caused by overgrown fangs. The extrusion of the canines leads to misalignment of the jaw.
• Periodontal disease also called inflammatory gum disease or gingivitis affects 70 percent of cats over the age of 3 in the U.S.
• Mouth ulcers result from problems such as toxins, calicivirus, end stage kidney disease, pemphigus complex, thermal burns, and feline herpes and may cause teeth grinding.

Tooth resorption is the most common feline oral disease, affecting between 30 and 40 percent of healthy adult cats, and from 60 to 80 percent of kitties who visit a veterinarian for treatment of dental disease.

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