An epidemiological survey on the prevalence of equine peripheral dental caries in the United Kingdom and possible risk factors for its development.

This research aimed to investigate the prevalence of equine peripheral caries (a kind of dental disease in horses) in the United Kingdom and explore if any potential risk factors might contribute to its development. The study indicates that equine peripheral caries is commonly found in British horses, mostly impacting the cheek teeth. Only a modest link between feeding habits and the disease was found, but a strong connection was observed between this dental disease and other concurrent dental abnormalities.

Study Methodology

• The study was cross-sectional in nature, conducted on a wider scale across the UK. This means that data was collected from a defined population at a specific point in time, providing a snapshot of the prevalence of equine peripheral caries.
• It employed experienced personnel, who surveyed their patients during dental examinations. Using predefined guidelines for categorizing the severity of peripheral caries, the research team gathered reliable data.
• To statistically scrutinize potential risk factors and understand their correlation with peripheral caries, univariable logistic regression was employed initially ahead of setting up a multivariable model. As statistical techniques, these helped establish relationships between dependent and independent variables.

Results

• The study resulted in a noteworthy outcome that 51.7% of the examined horses (365 out of 706) had peripheral caries, revealing its high prevalence in the UK.
• The dental disorder primarily impacted cheek teeth, with the 12 caudal significantly more affected than the 12 rostral cheek teeth.
• Most predicted risk factors such as age, breed, sex, hours at pasture, or feeding silage (treated grass or hay) were not corroborated. However, moderate levels of concentrate feeding showed a limited association with the disease.
• A significant link was found between the presence of concurrent dental abnormalities and peripheral caries, implying a correlation between various dental disorders in horses.

Conclusions

• The research acknowledges limitations, such as not including all regions in the UK and potential inconsistencies in the examinations conducted by different personnel.
• Despite these limitations, the study concludes that peripheral caries is a common problem in British horses. The limited association with feeding, mainly concentrated feeds, suggests further research is required in this direction.
• The evident association of peripheral caries with concurrent dental disorders indicates a considerable interrelation among different dental diseases, stressing the necessity for comprehensive dental care in horses.