Morphological and functional features of cat teeth

The article identifies the features of the anatomical structure and physiology of certain organs derived from the foregut of the domestic cat. The study focused on organs derived from the foregut of the feline digestive system, namely the structure of the teeth of clinically healthy cats. A set of standard morphological research methods was applied. During organ sampling, classical complex morphological and anatomical experimental research methods were used. The organs derived from the foregut of the digestive system in cats include the mouth and the organs of the oral cavity. Cat teeth are also considered derivatives of the foregut. In cats, teeth play an essential role in prey acquisition and capture, biting and tearing pieces of food, grinding and crushing food in the oral cavity, as well as in grooming behavior and defense in situations of danger. Topographically, cat teeth are located in the oral cavity on the maxillary and mandibular bones, forming two dental arches – upper and lower. Cat teeth are classified according to their location, structure, and function, and are also divided into deciduous and permanent teeth, including premolars and molars. In total, the domestic cat has twenty-six deciduous teeth, with no deciduous molars. Permanent teeth erupt by six to seven months of age and number thirty, with four molars added to the upper and lower jaws. According to their structure, location, and function, cat teeth are divided into incisors, canines, premolars, and molars. Cats have six incisors on the upper jaw and six on the lower jaw, located behind the upper and lower lips on the alveolar margins of the incisive and mandibular bones. Their primary functions include food grasping and self-grooming. Incisors have specific designations: the first two on the upper and lower jaws are called central incisors, followed by the intermediate incisors, also two on each jaw. The incisors terminate with cutting edges and occur as both deciduous and permanent teeth. Posterior to the incisors on both the upper and lower jaws are two canines, which are curved inward. These teeth are fang-shaped. Aborally to the canines are the cheek teeth. The upper jaw contains six premolars and one molar. In some cases, permanent canine teeth may already be developed while deciduous teeth persist. The lower jaw contains four premolars and two molars. During mastication, the jaws of the domestic cat move vertically without lateral movements. Domestic cats possess short-crowned teeth consisting of a crown, which is visible in the oral cavity, and a root, which is embedded in the alveolus of the bone. Between them is the neck, to which the gingival mucosa is attached. The tooth crown protrudes into the oral cavity and has a characteristic contour in cats in the form of cusps of varying height. Each tooth crown has an elevated portion known as the cusp. Internally, the tooth contains a dental cavity, referred to anatomically as the coronal cavity within the crown and the root canal within the root. The dental cavity is filled with connective tissue, blood vessels, and nerves and is known as the dental pulp. The tooth itself is composed of dentin, a highly durable tissue consisting of approximately seventy percent mineral substances. The crown is covered with enamel, the hardest tissue in the body, while the root is covered with cementum. In the future, morphological and morphometric studies of the contours of foregut-derived organs, namely the organs of the oral cavity, will be conducted depending on housing conditions, season, age, and breed in cats as well as in various animal species.