Dear Dr. John,

We own two cats, aged 8 and 9 years. Our female cat (the older one) has a history of very bad teeth having had most of them removed on two dental visits. She had four remaining teeth which were her fangs. Ever since the second dentistry, she has been much happier by being pain free and her mouth has looked good. She has had no drooling or any issues whatsoever until just the other day. We found one of her remaining four teeth broken off on the ground. She continues to eat and does not seem to be bothered by the loss that much. She does not let me look in her mouth so should I have her seen? K.T.

Dear K.T.,

The fact that you have two unrelated cats living in the same household eating presumably the same food supports how dental health is primarily genetic. It is not uncommon for cats to have serious dental disease leading to painful oral cavities that might also exhibit ulcers and inflammation. These cats can have trouble eating, drool, drop their dry food, and might occasionally even have bleeding from the mouth.

Veterinarians usually try to manage these cases medically first but quite often these cases lead to dental procedures with many extractions. Teeth become diseased with decay and resorptive lesions and, when removed, these cats often lead much happier and more comfortable lives. In the case of your cat, I am not surprised by a tooth breaking off since her dental health was always compromised and, in all likelihood, the tooth decayed over time leading to the fracture of the tooth.

I would definitely suggest that you have her seen and properly examined sooner rather than later. The tooth could have broken off at different levels possibly leaving part of the crown or the root. Remaining parts of the tooth might need to be properly removed. Your veterinarian should also assess the remaining three teeth for decay. Surprisingly, your cat can manage with three teeth or even no teeth!

Dr. John de Jong is President of the World Veterinary Association. He owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic and can be reached at 781-899-9994.