Cat upper tooth going into inside lower gum?

[trishia42]

Our cat has always had this thing where his upper tooth would sometime catch on his lower lip/gum occasionally. But since the last couple of weeks, it started happening more and more and it's been constant for the last couple of days. It's like his upper canine is going inside the lower gum flap instead of over it. I think it bothers him because he does not like to be touched there; the tooth itself seems fine when I touch it, but I think there's some irritation/inflammation on the bottom gum; he's been drooling a bit today and it looks like he's getting food on his chin when he eats. I don't think I can see an actual wound, but it's difficult to see.

It's a long week-end here but we're really hoping our vets can fit him in early this week because I really don't like it. He's been at the vet regularly and although tartar was graded 2 and gingivitis at 1, we were advised not to worry about it because of his age and health issues (a dental was not worth the risks).

Has anyone ever come across this? I can't find anything online. I feel this is just because maybe the gum got looser with age? I have no idea what they can do to fix it and I'm very worried because I don't think he would survive a procedure requiring anaesthesia right now with all of his issues. He's 16 years old and has advanced kidney disease and hypertension.

Here are some pictures - . The last one is from just now and it actually looks like the bottom gum/lip is more swollen now?

 

[white shadow]

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Hi trishia42.

I believe you'll find a complete coverage for what you're seeking here: Tanya's Comprehensive Guide....Dental Problems

That is a reputable reliable site and it's foundation is the cat with kidney disease.

Once you get through the basic info in the first half or so, you could go directly to the Dental Surgery section.

The golden rule with dental care is 'the sooner, the better'......and, perhaps he should have been referred to a Veterinary Dentist, a specialist, earlier on......I'd be asking for that now.
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[trishia42]

But I don't think the tooth hurts; I think it's mostly because it might digging inside the gum because it got looser...? He has never had any symptoms of teeth issues until this, which I'm not entirely sure is related to the teeth.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It would seem to me based on your original post, that this tooth is more than likely bothering him. He is no different than an older human person, in that teeth can shift due to gum erosion, and cause problems they once did not.

I so appreciate his age and your concerns, but at least find out what the recommended treatments might be to resolve his tooth issue. Glad you have a vet appt that might at least give you some ideas of your options.

 

[daftcat75]

The wait time on an initial consultation with a veterinary dentist can be from two to six months. Find a dentist and make that appointment now. You can always cancel it if you find something sooner like your general vet or, ... ? But if you wait until it becomes an obvious issue, that wait time doesn't change.

If you're in North America, you can find a dentist through the AVDC website.
AVDC.org | American Veterinary Dental College

 

[trishia42]

I'm REALLY hoping they can fit him in once they re-open on Tuesday morning. He ate all his food last night and had his drug/treats this morning and seems mostly normal. I started giving him a bit of buprenorphine last night to help with any potential discomfort. I'm starting to think that maybe it's a cyst that is pushing the lip/gum out and the tooth in but he certainly won't let me take a good look at it... Really trying not to think of the c-word here because the prognosis seems very bad on that.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I wouldn't jump to cancer - there are so many other things that are more likely!! Hope the vet can 'squeeze' him in!!

 

[white shadow]

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I wouldn't be even thinking cancer.....if that were involved, I think you'd be observing more serious symptoms, and sooner.

I mentioned 'specialist" and was happy to see daftcat75 (just love that handle!) give you their site as well.....with his health issues and, with the resources available, I'd be going that route with peace of mind. Your Vet may already have a Dentist on the speed dial.

If he hasn't had a blood pressure measurement lately, 'twould be a good add-in for this visit.
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[trishia42]

I know I shouldn't be reading the web! I did look at eosinophilic granuloma a lot but all his bowls are stainless steel or ceramic; only one water bowl was plastic (which I just switched now), but he doesn't really use that one all that much to begin with. No real change in food for the past few months, and it doesn't look like they contain grain or carrageenan.

Looks like there is one board-certified dentist in my city; I guess we will see what the vet says first. I'm unsure if it's a tooth; certainly doesn't look like it would be the upper canine.

As for blood pressure, yeah he was diagnosed with hypertension a couple months ago (most likely CKD-related) and has been on amlopidine and telmisartan for a while. We were getting readings of 130-140 for the past few weeks, but it seems to have gone up slighly in the last couple of days (150-160 maybe); not sure if it is related but it is also something we may want to bring up.

 

[Astragal14]

This is a vertical tooth luxation. One of my cats currently has the same thing. It may or may not be serious, unfortunately you likely won't know without x-rays.

Tooth Dislocation or Sudden Loss in Cats | PetMD

There are different types of tooth luxation -- the clinical term that is given for a dislocation of the tooth from its normal spot in the mouth. The mutation can be vertical (downward) or lateral (on either side).

In vertical luxation, the tooth may move up (intrusion) or down (extrusion) in its bony socket. Vertical luxation is related to the dislocation of the root of the tooth.

The short description is your cat's jaw is pushing out the tooth. This could be happening due to age and movement of the teeth, or from damage to the root of the tooth, or problems with the gums or jaw itself.

I noticed the same issues with my cat that you have noted with your cat. Most commonly, I noticed her upper left canine tooth sticking out many times; she also seemed to get chin acne under that area more frequently.

We're fortunate that our regular veterinarian does dental cleanings and extractions so we didn't have to wait for a dental specialist. Our plan was to likely have the tooth extracted but this ended up not being necessary (at least for now). There is no damage or decay to the tooth, her jaw or her gums so our plan is to wait and see. She doesn't seem to be in pain and it hasn't affected her eating and drinking habits.

Our girl is 10 years old and has a long history of dental problems. She had terrible gingivitis and was addicted to dry food when we adopted her at age 2 1/2. She needed three dental cleanings and several extractions in her first year with us! It's been a long, very long transition to wet food and her dental health has greatly improved. The tooth luxation isn't anything that happened due to quality of dental care, our girl just doesn't have the greatest teeth.

I know you're sensitive about his age and health. Your vet or a dental specialist can examine as much as possible without sedation and x-rays, but they will need to find out how serious the issue is under his gums and at the root.

 

[trishia42]

It would be odd since everything looks symmetrical. It's not sticking out per say, it's going inside instead of outside. We have an appointment today.

But yesterday, we noticed something new that is adding to the concern; a hard bump under his chin. It was most definitely not there on Saturday. There doesn't seem to be any bumps or lesions inside his mouth that we can see but this hard bump really worries me. I have no idea how quickly cancerous growths can appear... I'm so very scared.

 

[trishia42]

They think it's either osteomyelitis, or more likely to be cancer given his age.

After everything we've been through; after everything he has been through. This is just the most devastating thing ever and I have no words left.