Overclosure

Malocclusions or bite abnormalities are not observed as commonly in cats as they are in dogs. 

One of the most common traumatic malocclusions occurs when the maxillary fourth premolar tooth contacts and traumatises the soft tissue adjacent to the mandibular molar tooth. 

This may present as an ulcerated region beneath the mandibular molar tooth, a cleft in the gingiva associated with the mandibular molar tooth or a proliferative growth like lesion in the same location (pyogenic granuloma) and may secondarily result in associated periodontal disease and on occasion early tooth loss.  

This malocclusion may be present in any breed however we have observed it most commonly in brachycephaic breeds (Persian, British Shorthair) and Maine Coon cats.  

The condition causes discomfort in patients and as such treatment is always recommended.  

In most patients, we can perform an odontoplasty procedure of the maxillary fourth premolar tooth. This involves reshaping the tip of the tooth to reduce its height and create a more rounded contour. The aim of this procedure is to alleviate the soft tissue trauma to the mandible secondary to the occlusion/overclosing.  

This procedure does expose dentin and can create some dental sensitivity. To eliminate/reduce this a light cured resin is placed on the expose dentinal surface during the procedure. 

For patients having an odontoplasty procedure where enough tooth needs to be removed in order to eliminate the soft tissue trauma that the pulp chamber is entered a vital pulpotomy or extraction will be required. Thankfully, this is a rare occurrence.  

Extraction is an alternative to an odontoplasty procedure. Extraction offers a permanent and predictable solution to this malocclusion, it is a more invasive treatment and we generally reserve this for patients where odontoplasty alone is not sufficient to alleviate the trauma to the mandibular soft tissues.  

Extraction can increase the incidence of periodontal disease affecting the mandibular molar teeth as the self-cleaning mechanism is lost and, in some cases, allows the mandibular molar teeth to have increased contact with the palate creating a new point of trauma.  

In many cases we also need to resect or remove the proliferative tissue beneath the mandibular molar tooth. This tissue may be sent to a pathologist to confirm that the growth is inflammatory in nature.