Why do cats have no teeth?

Due to various reasons, many cats have lost part of their teeth, or even had their entire teeth extracted. Let’s first take a look at the reasons that cause cats to lose their teeth!

Kittens have 26 deciduous teeth. After the teeth are replaced, a normal cat will have 30 teeth!

The main reasons for cat tooth loss are as follows:

Tooth damage caused by congenital developmental abnormalities. Accidentally hitting a hard object while playing can cause tooth damage, usually part of the canine tooth is missing. Fight too hard and knock out teeth. Periodontal disease in the mouth causes damage to the teeth. As cats get older, their teeth become loose and fall out. Part of the tooth is missing due to tooth extraction surgery due to disease or dental deformity. Some cats with severe stomatitis have all their teeth removed.

In this way, the cat Toothless was born. What impact does missing teeth have on cats?

　◆ For stray cats, it will indeed have some impact. Although cats do not need to chew carefully like humans when eating, they can swallow it directly. But for stray cats, their diet is relatively complex, and missing teeth may affect their ability to capture prey, bite meat or other food that is too large to be swallowed directly.

　◆ For pet cats, since they do not need to hunt their own food, the loss of teeth will not affect their normal life. But there are a few points that need special attention:

Taking care of a cat with missing teeth requires a more careful diet. For dry food, try to choose smaller grains. If you eat meat, the pieces of meat should not be too large. They should be nutritious, easy to swallow, and easy to digest. If a cat's permanent teeth are lost, they will not grow back. Where the teeth are missing, the gums will become thicker and harder over time. We can regard this as a protective evolution. Because cats without teeth can still eat. If a canine tooth is lost, the cat will not be cute! The cat’s little tiger teeth are indeed loved by many people, but if unfortunately they are lost, as long as the cat is healthy, don’t worry too much!

About cat dental related diseases

　◆ Periodontal disease: Not only cats, but also humans often suffer from gum inflammation and pain. Research shows that 70% of cats over 2 years old will have various symptoms of periodontal disease. Oral infections are sometimes closely related to other organs in the body, such as the kidneys, liver, cardiopulmonary disease and other organs.

The most common ones include gum inflammation, plaque and calculus deposition, bad breath, ulcers, gum recession, loose teeth, etc. during the period of cat tooth replacement.

◆ InnateDevelopmental abnormalities: such as residual deciduous teeth, malocclusion, impacted teeth, tooth resorption, oral tumors, etc. Many require tooth extraction surgery.

Can cats’ teeth be repaired or crowned?

　◆ There are indeed some restorative treatments for cats’ teeth, such as pulp sealing and reduction, root apex generation, root canal treatment, etc., but not every pet hospital has such treatment items, and it may be necessary Go to some large and authoritative animal hospitals for diagnosis and treatment by relevant experts.

　◆ It is not impossible to get teeth for cats, but there are very few places where it can be done and the price is relatively high. As long as it does not affect the cat's health and normal life, there is actually no need to have teeth placed on the cat.

　◆ Brushing teeth: The most effective way to prevent and treat dental disease is also something that many cat owners find difficult to do, but for the health of their cats, try to persist.

　◆ Various tooth-cleaning and health-care snacks: they may have a certain effect, but I think the psychological effect is greater,

Let’s brush the cat’s teeth honestly!