It’s essential to understand the key principles underlying the treatment of this condition, as a lack of knowledge can lead to reduced improvement in our patients and significant frustration for their caregivers.
Therefore, the management of these patients should be based on the following points:
• Modulate the immune response.
• Reduce inflammation and eliminate any contributing factors.
• Remove bacterial plaque and treat any existing bacterial infections.
• Control pain.
Based on the points mentioned above, the management of these patients relies on a combination of surgical and medical treatment.
Expectations regarding symptom improvement and the necessary timeframes should be communicated to our patients.
Most studies agree that there is no possibility of cure without surgical intervention.
This typically involves the complete extraction of premolars and molars, providing similar healing percentages of around 70%, with 20% showing substantial improvement without complete healing, and 10% of cases remaining refractory.
Several medical treatments show better results in cats that have undergone extractions compared to those that have not. The surgical treatment aims to eliminate bacterial plaque or parts of the tooth exposed to the oral cavity, as seen in resorptive lesions, and any potential chronic antigenic stimulus such as periodontitis.
