Can I file down my cat's lower canine tooth to stop lip irritation?

Question

Hello, My cat, a five and a half years old female, had perialveolar osteitis on her upper right canine tooth, and she had to get it extracted. She's fine now, only her lower canine sometimes catches her lip. Is it possible to file down and dull that tooth just a tiny little bit in order to avoid that? Thanks and advance!

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Poor kitty! This can often be a minor, annoying issue for cats who have had an upper canine tooth extracted. Unfortunately, it's not possible to file down the lower canine tooth, because the pulp cavity in these teeth extends almost all the way to the tip - so if you were to file them down at all, even a tiny bit, it's very likely that you would expose the pulp cavity. This causes a great deal of pain to the cat, and can also lead to infection and other problems. So unfortunately, I'm afraid that this is a problem that she will just have to live with, unless it's bothering her so much that you think it would be worth it to extract the lower canine tooth on this side as well.

Can I file down my cat's lower canine tooth to stop lip irritation?

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