Clinical and thermographic evaluation of susceptibility to periodontal disease in non-brachiocephalic cats

In this study, the degree of gingival inflammation and oral hygiene of cats were determined according to the Gingival Index (GI), Papillary Bleeding Index (PBI) and Plaque Index (PI). It was aimed to compare the temperatures of different anatomical regions of the gingiva measured with a thermal camera between these index degrees. The material of the study consisted of 50 non-brachiocephalic cats, aged 1 year and older, brought to Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Animal Hospital for ovariohysterectomy and castration, with no periodontal destruction in the gums. The cats brought to the clinic were allowed to rest in the examination room for 30 minutes. During the induction of anesthesia, the lips of the cats were lifted during the preintubation period and the first thermograms were taken with a thermal camera while the gums were visible. The cats were then intubated and placed under inhalation anesthesia in the anesthesia device. The lips of the cats were lifted to expose the gingiva and thermograms of the right and left maxillary and mandibular halves were taken with a thermal camera at a distance of 20 cm. The same procedure was performed rostrally for the incisive teeth. Then, hyperemia, edema, hemorrhage and plaque density of all gingiva were recorded according to the index systems and the cats were discharged after the procedures. From the thermograms obtained, the temperatures of three different anatomical regions of the gingiva of each tooth of the cats were recorded: free gingiva (FG), attached gingiva (AG) and alveolar mucosa (AM). The recorded temperatures were classified separately according to the three different index systems used. In the post-intubated period, there was an initial decrease and then an increase in temperature as the degree of GI increased in the SG region (p=0.044<0.05) in the maxillary gingiva and in the FG, AG and AM regions (p=0.002<0.05) in the mandibular region. Statistically significant differences were found between FG-AM (r= 0.909°C and p=0.000<0.05) and AG-AM (r= 0.538°C and p=0.037<0.05) regionally among the FG, AG and AM regions with GI0 degree in maxillary and mandibular gingiva. In the temperature difference between maxillary and mandibular gingival regions, maxillary gingival regions had higher temperatures (FG (r= 0.419±0.231°C and p=0.071>0.05), AG (r= 0.457±0.231°C and p=0.048<0.05) and AM (r= 0.612±0.23°C and p=0.006<0.05)). In the post-intubated period, it was concluded that the temperature in the AM region increased (p=0.048<0.05) as the PBI degrees increased in the mandible. Again, it was found that as the degree of PI increased in the maxilla in the post-intubated period, there was an initial decrease and then an increase in temperature in the FG region (p=0.013; p<0.05). In the analysis comparing the temperature difference of FG, AG and AM regions with different degrees of GI, PBI and PI in the pre and post intubated period, it was found that the temperatures in the FG and BG regions with PBI 2 disease grade were statistically lower in the pre intubated period than in the post intubated period (FG (r= -1.0334 and p=0.023<0.05) and AG (r=-0.8583 and p=0.043<0.05)). It was determined that the degree of GI decreased and the degree of PI increased with increasing age in cats. It was predicted that the thermal camera may have important contributions in the diagnosis of gingival diseases in cats.