Association of Skull Type, Diet, and Chronic Gingivostomatitis with Tooth Resorption in Cats Receiving Dental Treatment

Tooth resorption (TR) is a common and painful dental disease in cats. The contributions of skull type, diet, and chronic gingivostomatitis (CGS) to its development remain unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 166 cats with TR confirmed radiographically to evaluate these associations. Brachycephalic cats (N = 33) were significantly younger than non-brachycephalic cats (7.1 ± 2.6 vs. 8.7 ± 3.8 years, p = 0.026) and had a higher prevalence of advanced Stage 4 TR lesions (p = 0.018). There was no significant difference between two groups of cats in sex distribution, diet type or wet food consumption. CGS occurred more often in non-brachycephalic cats (57.9% vs. 21.2%, p < 0.001) but was not associated with TR severity. In both skull groups, mandibular premolars and molars were most commonly affected (p < 0.01). Cats with owner-reported premium diets had more Stage 4 lesions (p = 0.013), particularly in non-brachycephalic cats but not in brachycephalic cats. These findings suggest that TR severity is associated with younger age and advanced lesions in brachycephalic breeds, as well as diet-related differences in non-brachycephalic cats. Further studies are warranted to evaluate early dental screening and targeted nutritional strategies to mitigate the progression of tooth resorption in cats.