Periapical curettage: an alternative surgical approach to infected mandibular cheek teeth in horses.

This study examines an alternate surgical method, periapical curettage, used to treat infections at the root of mandibular cheek teeth in horses. The study finds that periapical curettage, a relatively simple procedure that enables drainage of the infected area, could serve as an effective treatment option for such infections.

Objective and Methodology

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an alternate surgical treatment, periapical curettage, on mandibular cheek teeth infections in horses. The methodology involved conducting a retrospective study where the hospital records of horses treated with periapical curettage for these infections from 1992 – 2002 were reviewed. Factors considered included:

• Clinical signs of infection.
• Reports of radiographic examinations to identify the internal structure and problem of the teeth.
• Details included in the surgical reports.

Study Participants and Follow-up

The study reviewed the case of 11 horses, aged 3-13 years, treated with periapical curettage. Post-treatment follow-ups were conducted to determine the outcome of the surgical procedure. The follow-up method varied:

• For 7 of the horses, a telephonic questionnaire was used to track progress.
• 2 of the horses were physically examined to observe the progress post-surgery.

Results

The review discovered that out of the 11 horses treated, two were lost in follow-up and could not be traced. The average follow-up time was 41 months post-treatment. Among the recorded outcomes:

• 2 horses had to undergo additional tooth repulsion procedures to extract the infected tooth.
• 7 horses, accounting for 78% of the sample size, showed complete recovery with periapical curettage. However, 2 of these horses still had some local mandibular swelling.

Conclusions

The research concluded that periapical curettage could potentially serve as a viable treatment option for equine mandibular cheek teeth infections. The advantages of this treatment are its simplicity, the provision for alveolar drainage and not requiring expensive imaging or surgical equipment. Therefore, it could be implemented in both referral and first opinion practices.