Research overview: feline tooth resorption

Tooth resorption is one of the most common and painful dental diseases in cats, in which odontoclasts progressively destroy tooth structure, often beginning below the gumline and causing significant discomfort even when lesions are not visible externally. Its cause remains incompletely understood despite extensive study, with various theories implicating inflammation, diet, and metabolic factors. This overview compiles the dental literature rather than one source, describing the pathology of resorptive lesions, why dental radiography is essential to detect and classify them, and why extraction is typically the treatment given the irreversible nature of the destruction. It matters because tooth resorption affects a large proportion of cats, causes chronic pain that cats often hide, and underscores the importance of regular dental examination and radiography in feline practice.