When Dr. David Steele got a Persian kitten from his daughter in 2005, he noticed something unusual. Sebastian the cat had an underbite, and a pretty severe one at that. His bottom teeth jutted out of his mouth like a Bulldog’s chompers. At first Dr. Steele thought they were baby teeth that would fall out and be replaced. But, being a dentist, he examined them thoroughly and found out that these were adult teeth, and they would need to be protected.
When teeth are exposed, they are at risk of being chipped or damaged. So Dr. Steele came up with a solution. He would make caps for the teeth, much like the ones humans sometimes get. But rather than rely on porcelain veneers, which weren’t as reliable as they are now, he opted to go with a more tried-and-true material, gold.
Sebastian was a trooper and sat still for the molding process, and the mold was sent to the lab. The laboratory was so thrilled to make teeth for a cat, they didn’t even charge the doctor for them. With the help of a vet, Dr. Steele put the gold caps on Sebastian the cat’s teeth. For a few days, Sebastian was very unhappy, much like any human would be after undergoing a major dental procedure. Then he got used to the new grill, and his teeth were nice and safe.
Sebastian is pretty flashy with his shiny fangs, but a Persian kitty’s gotta look good.
