Potential impact of natural conditions on the rostral oral health: a study of horses in Iceland.

The research article “Potential impact of natural conditions on the rostral oral health: a study of horses in Iceland” explores how the natural living conditions and diet of elderly Icelandic horses may contribute to their oral health, specifically in the prevention of dental conditions such as Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH).

Objective

The researchers aim to understand the influence of dental treatment, keeping and feeding management on the health of the rostral oral cavity of elderly horses in Iceland. They are particularly interested in dental and gingival disorders prevalent in the rostral mouth.

Methods

• The study involved 170 horses aged 15 or older from different areas of Northwest, West, and South Iceland.
• The horse owners filled a questionnaire about keeping, feeding and preventive dental care.
• The researchers made clinical examinations of the horses, focusing on signs of dental and gingival disorders in the rostral mouth such as gingivitis, fistula, gingiva retraction, enlargement of the roots and dental calculus.
• Other considerations included the integrity of incisors, bite angle, and tooth mobility.

Findings

• Most horses were kept on pasture all year with little supplementary feeding.
• The occurrence of dental treatment in Iceland was minimal.
• Only a few of the horses had experienced tooth loss, gingivitis, gingival recession, and incisor calculus.
• Canines exhibited calculus more frequently and severely compared to incisors.
• The findings were uniform across all horse locations.

Conclusions

• If the impressive health of the rostral oral cavity in elderly Icelandic horses was not due to preventive dental care, then it was hypothesized to be a result of living conditions in Iceland. The continuity and intensity of chewing, coupled with the native forage, could contribute to the health of incisors and the tissue surrounding the tooth.

This study underscores the potential impact of lifestyle factors such as diet and living conditions on the oral health of horses. Understanding these factors could help develop strategies for enhancing horse health and wellbeing.