A cat had "gold" canines fitted for 45,000 hryvnias: why the expensive treatment was necessary

In Vinnytsia, a three-year-old cat had metal crowns placed on its canines after an injury. Because of the golden color of the construction they resemble “gold” teeth, but in fact there is no precious metal in them. The unusual treatment was performed by specialists at the veterinary center L’vet. Its goal was not to change the animal’s appearance, but to preserve the animal’s own canines after serious damage and restore their normal function.

According to veterinary dentist Eli Zhuravel, the treatment consisted of several stages. First, the cat underwent endodontic treatment of the damaged teeth. After that the doctors waited approximately 6 months, and then took follow-up X-rays. When the specialists were convinced that the teeth could be preserved, they prepared them for crown placement. After this they took impressions and handed them to a dental technician, who fabricated custom restorations. The final stages were fitting and securing the metal crowns on the canines. Overall the procedure consisted of 4 stages and lasted about 6 months. The veterinary center emphasized that the “gold” teeth were not an indulgence of the cat’s owners.

“This is a case where golden teeth are not a whim of the owner, but a necessity to leave the 3-year-old cat with its canines. We need not just to preserve the tooth, but to restore its function and protect it after treatment,” the veterinarians explained.

After photos of the cat appeared on social media, users wondered why metal constructions were chosen for the animal. According to Eli Zhuravel, metal allows the crown to be made thinner. This is important in cases when little of the original tooth tissue remains after treatment. In addition, metal constructions withstand load well and are less prone to chipping. In other words, the unusual golden appearance of the canines is actually a side effect of the choice of material, not the aim of the treatment.

According to the veterinary dentist, the entire course of treatment cost the owners approximately 45,000 hryvnias. This amount included all stages of treatment, the work of the dentists and the dental technician, materials, and the fabrication of the crowns. As a result, the veterinarians managed not to extract the damaged canines but to preserve them by protecting them with metal crowns.

Thus, the “gold” teeth of the Vinnytsia cat turned out not to be an expensive whim, but a way to preserve the animal’s own teeth after the injury and restore their functionality.