Topic:Oral Health
Oral health in horses encompasses the study and management of the dental and oral structures, including teeth, gums, and the oral cavity. It is an important aspect of equine veterinary care, as oral health can affect a horse's ability to chew and digest food properly. Common issues include dental malocclusions, periodontal disease, and the presence of sharp enamel points, which can lead to discomfort and reduced feed efficiency. Regular dental examinations and treatments, such as floating, are employed to maintain proper oral function. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the anatomy, pathology, and management strategies related to oral health in horses.
The blood vessel system in the periodontal ligament of the equine cheek teeth–part I: The spatial arrangement in layers. Corrosion casts of blood vessels in the periodontium of cheek teeth from eight horses were observed three-dimensionally with a dissection microscope. Selected specimens were examined in a scanning electron microscope. Periodontal blood vessels communicated with those from the gingiva, the alveolar bone, and the apical region. In the upper jaw, there were anastomoses with the blood vessels of the mucosa of the maxillary sinus. The periodontal vascular system was organized in two or three layers. The peripheral layer was mainly composed of large venules, the inner one consisted of capillaries. I...
Dental and orofacial trauma in pony and horseback riding children. An epidemiological survey was carried among pony and horseback riding children in nine pony and horseback riding clubs, Istanbul. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental trauma in young pony and horse riders. A total of 214 children were interviewed to determine the occurrence of dental trauma during pony and horseback riding. Some 2.3% of participants (n = 5) had already been affected by dental and orofacial trauma. Horse riders experienced dental and/or orofacial trauma significantly more than the pony riders. Results revealed that these children's awareness...
Metallic foreign bodies in the tongues of 16 horses. The history, clinical signs, results of diagnostic imaging, treatment methods and outcome of 16 adult horses with a metallic foreign body in the tongue are reviewed. All the horses had a swollen tongue, they salivated excessively and were partially to completely anorexic. Less common clinical signs were fever, an enlarged and painful intermandibular space, dysphagia, unilateral tongue paralysis and halitosis. Most of the horses had shown clinical signs for less than 24 hours. The foreign bodies were diagnosed by oral examination, radiography and ultrasonography; they were removed from the tong...
[First-time endoscopic detection of larvae of Gasterophilus spp. in the oral cavity in 14 warmblood horses]. Intraoral endoscopy is used as a standard diagnostic technique at the reporting clinics in horses presented with stomatological problems. Endoscopy of the oral cavity was performed using a chip camera, camera control unit, xenon cold light source and a rigid endoscope. In a three year period (2002 to 2004), second instars of Gasterophilus spp. were diagnosed in 14 warmblood horses 2 to 17 years of age. All horses were presented with masticatory problems or problems accepting the bit. In one horse oesophageal obstruction occurred in the course of larval migration. Oral endoscopy can not only be...
Radical surgical resection of locally invasive oro-cutaneous tumors in the buccal region of 2 horses. To report treatment and wound healing after radical surgical mass excision in the equine buccal region. Methods: Clinical case reports. Methods: An 11-year-old Warmblood gelding and a 9-year-old Norwegian Trotter gelding. Methods: Large tumoral masses were removed from the buccal region by radical electrosurgery, creating large defects into the oral cavity. Wound ultimately healed by second intention. Results: Buccal defects in both horses healed well by second intention without tumor recurrence. Conclusions: Locally invasive tumors involving the cheek region of the horse can be successfully t...
Effect of premolar and molar occlusal angle on feed digestibility, water balance, and fecal particle size in horses. To determine whether occlusal angle of the premolar and molar teeth (ie, molar occlusal angle) was associated with feed digestibility, water balance, or fecal particle size in adult horses. Methods: Observational study. Methods: 40 pregnant mares ranging from 3 to 19 years old. Methods: The horses were randomly allocated to 1 of 5 feeding groups with 8 horses/group. Horses were sedated, and molar occlusal angle was measured with 2 methods. An oral examination was performed, and total number of dental abnormalities was recorded. Feed digestibility, water balance, and fecal particle size were me...
Teeth, bones and brushing. No abstract available
Standing oral extraction of cheek teeth in 100 horses (1998–2003). Extraction of cheek teeth (CT) by the conventional repulsion technique requires general anaesthesia and carries a high rate of post operative complications. Consequently, an alternative method of extraction, i.e. orally in standing horses, was evaluated. Objective: The need for and risks of general anaesthesia could be avoided and post extraction sequelae reduced by performing extractions orally in standing horses. Methods: One hundred mainly younger horses (median age 8, range 2-18 years) with firmly attached CT that required extraction because of apical infections, displacements, diastemata,...
Effect of dental floating on weight gain, body condition score, feed digestibility, and fecal particle size in pregnant mares. To investigate the effect of routine dental floating on weight gain, body condition score, feed digestibility, and fecal particle size in pregnant mares fed various diets. Methods: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Methods: 56 pregnant mares. Methods: Mares were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 feed groups (n = 14 mares/group). All horses were sedated and an oral examination was performed, after which dental floating was performed on 7 horses in each group. Body weight was measured, and a body condition score was assigned before and at various times for 24 weeks after dental floating. Feed dig...
Survey of the provision of prophylactic dental care for horses in Great Britain and Ireland between 1999 and 2002. A survey of 854 horse owners, trainers and equestrian managers in 10 regions of Great Britain and Ireland showed that 83 per cent provided their horses with routine prophylactic dental care at fixed intervals, including 49 per cent at intervals of 12 months and 30 per cent at intervals of six months; a further 10 per cent provided it only when they felt it was required and 7 per cent did not provide it at all. Overall, 44 per cent of the owners had their horse's wolf teeth (first premolar) extracted routinely; when prophylactic dentistry was provided, it was carried out solely by equine dental...
An oral choristoma in a foal resembling hairy polyp in humans. A neonatal foal was presented with a 6.5-cm pedunculated mass arising from the upper deciduous incisors. The distal end was soft and covered by haired skin, whereas the proximal end was firm, covered with mucosal epithelium, and at the point of transection contained a fully developed tooth. Microscopically, the mass was covered by epidermis and mucosal epithelium and the remaining portion of the mass consisted of mature collagen, nonneoplastic fat and smooth muscle, and a single tooth within a bony socket. The mass is consistent with an oral choristoma and has features similar to those describ...
Surgical management of compound odontoma in two horses. Two horses were admitted for evaluation of mandibular swelling (horse 1) or maxillary distortion (horse 2). Both horses had radiographic evidence of tumors of dental origin that had the appearance of a compound odontoma. Extensive surgical resection was performed for treatment. Horse 1 was treated with 1-stage surgical resection, but an iatrogenic fracture occurred during surgery, which was managed successfully with a type I external fixator and extraoral alimentation. Horse 2 was treated in multiple stages to remove all portions of the tumor. To manage an extensive orosinal fistula, a custom-...
Acrylic bite plane for treatment of malocclusion in a young horse. A 5-month-old quarter horse filly was presented for evaluation of a congenital overbite. The horse was diagnosed with a class 2 malocclusion. A non-removable, acrylic bite plane was constructed to provide a surface for the occlusal forces to be directed in a manner maintaining the normal anatomic position of the premaxilla. The preservation of normal anatomic relationships provided free range of motion of the mandible and maximized its growth potential, limiting the malocclusion. Although normal occlusion was not attained, partial incisor occlusion was present 20-months following initial treat...
Effect of dental floating on the rostrocaudal mobility of the mandible of horses. To evaluate the effect of dental floating on the position of the mandible relative to the maxilla (a measure of rostrocaudal mobility [RCM] of the mandible) during extension and flexion of the head of horses. Methods: Randomized controlled blinded trial. Methods: 59 horses housed in 1 barn. Methods: Horses were formally randomized into a treatment (n = 33) or control (26) group. All horses were sedated, and the distance between rostral portions of the upper and lower incisor arcades were determined with the head fully extended and flexed at the poll (the difference in measurements represented ...
Molecular analysis of Neorickettsia risticii in adult aquatic insects in Pennsylvania, in horses infected by ingestion of insects, and isolated in cell culture. Upon ingestion of adult aquatic insects, horses developed clinical signs of Potomac horse fever, and Neorickettsia risticii was isolated from the blood. 16S rRNA and 51-kDa antigen gene sequences from blood, isolates, and caddis flies fed to the horses were identical, proving oral transmission of N. risticii from caddis flies to horses.
Fusobacterium equinum sp. nov., from the oral cavity of horses. Two strains of gram-negative, anaerobic, non-sporulating rod that were isolated from the normal oral cavity and oral-associated disease from horses and which phenotypically resembled Fusobacterium necrophorum were characterized by sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA hybridization and phenotypic characterization. The results placed the novel strains as distinct members of the genus Fusobacterium. The novel species Fusobacterium equinum sp. nov. is proposed, with strain VPB 4027T (= NCTC 13176T = JCM 11174T) as the type strain.
Mouth ulcers in horses. No abstract available
Specific immune response of mares and their newborn foals to Actinobacillus spp. present in the oral cavity. Oral swab samples, serum and colostrum was taken from 15 mares and 14 of their foals, within 24 h of birth. The presence of antibody against Actinobacillus spp. isolated from the oral cavity was investigated using agar gel immunodiffusion. Antibodies against 48 out of the 77 Actinobacillus isolates from all horses in the study were present in the respective sera of 13 mares and 9 foals. In 11 mother-foal pairs, the antibody content of the foal serum was similar to that of the mare, and in 9 cases this was reflected in the antibody content of colostrum from the mare. The results indicate that a...
A combined frontal and maxillary sinus approach for repulsion of the third maxillary molar in a horse. The 3rd maxillary molar is a difficult tooth to remove by extraction or repulsion. A combined frontal and maxillary approach provides good exposure for repulsion of this tooth, debridement of the sinuses, and placement of an alveolar seal. The improved exposure should minimize operative difficulties and postoperative complications.
Understanding equine stereotypies. It is frequently asserted that equine stereotypies, such as crib-biting, wind-sucking and weaving, are caused by boredom. However, this explanation is too general to be of practical use in discerning the causes of each stereotypy or in devising management practices to prevent their occurrence. The majority of equine stereotypes start within one month of weaning when both the nutritional and social environment of the foal are substantially altered. Epidemiological research has revealed that the provision of low quantities of forage and minimal opportunities for social contact are associated wit...