Periodontal disease in cats Back to basics – with an eye on the future

Practical relevance:Periodontal disease is commonly encountered in feline practice. Gingivitis, followed by inflammation of the rest of the periodontal tissues, can lead to chronic oral infection, bacteraemia, pain and ultimately tooth loss. Given adequate plaque control and thorough, consistent dental home care, gingivitis is a reversible and controllable condition. Periodontitis, however, is an essentially irreversible and progressive condition. Treatment aims to control tissue inflammation, returning the gingiva to clinical health and preventing destruction of the periodontium in other parts of the mouth.Clinical challenges:Diagnosis must be established using a combination of oral examination under anaesthesia and dental radiography. Periodontitis leads to tooth attachment loss, and given the short length of most cat teeth, probing depths of 1 mm or more should alert the clinician to the presence of periodontitis. The decision of whether to extract or preserve affected teeth needs careful consideration...