The incidence and distribution of peripheral caries in the cheek teeth of horses and its association with diastemata and gingival recession.

The research paper investigates the connection between peripheral caries in horse’s teeth (lesions at the outer edge), diastemata (spaces or ‘gaps’ between teeth), and gingival recession (retracted gums). It uses video recordings of dental examinations in horses over 3 years, with results suggesting no direct association between peripheral caries and diastemata at both the tooth and patient levels. However, it did find a significant link between diastemata with trapped food and dental recession.

Objective and Background

• The research aims to understand the relationship between peripheral caries, diastemata, and gingival recession in horses, a topic which has not been thoroughly explored before.
• Peripheral caries are lesions or cavities on the outer edges of the teeth, while diastemata are gaps or spaces between teeth. Gingival recession is the pulling back of the gums that can expose the tooth’s root.
• The study acknowledges the presumed prevalence of peripheral caries in horses, but indicates scarce data on distribution and causes of this ailment.

Methodology

• The researchers employed an innovative method of video recording oroscopic (relating to the mouth and its surroundings) exams in a horse hospital over three years.
• They meticulously noted down the presence, position, and nature of diastemata, peripheral caries, trapped food, and gingival recession in all dental cases.

Study Findings

• The study involved 108 cases that fit the specified criteria, identifying 298 instances of diastemata and 445 teeth with peripheral caries.
• Results indicated that diastemata predominantly occurred in the mandibular arcades (80% incidence), which is the lower jaw of horses.
• Around 75% of the examined horses had at least one diastema, highlighting its common presence.
• Peripheral caries were uniformly distributed between the upper (maxillary) and lower (mandibular) teeth, with increased prevalence in the last three teeth of the set (caudal teeth, 87% incidence).

Conclusion

• The research concludes that there is no solid association between the presence of peripheral caries and diastemata at either the tooth or patient level.
• However, an important observation was a significant link between the presence of trapped food within a diastemata and gingival recession. This points toward the fact that food trapped in between teeth can be a possible cause of gum recession.