The prevalence of secondary dentinal lesions in cheek teeth from horses with clinical signs of pulpitis compared to controls.

The study looks at how secondary dentinal defects in horses’ teeth relate to pulpitis, a condition involving inflammation of dental pulp. The researchers analyzed horse dental records and extracted teeth, finding secondary dentinal defects were significantly more prevalent in horses with pulpitis.

Objectives and Methods

• The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and severity of secondary dentinal defects in the teeth of horses exhibiting symptoms of pulpitis and compare this to horses without symptoms (controls).
• To achieve this, the researchers reviewed records from all cases of equine cheek tooth (CT) extraction at the University of Bristol over a four-year period.
• Criteria for choosing cases were the presence of pulpitis symptoms, an intact extracted tooth, and a complete history and follow-up. Cases featuring coronal fracture or periodontal pocketing were omitted.
• The control group was made up of cheek teeth from cadavers with no history of dental disease.
• The scientists compared the eruption ages and positions of the extracted teeth with the control group.
• The researchers visually examined the occlusal (biting/chewing) surfaces of the extracted cheek teeth and those from the control group, looking for secondary dentinal defects.
• Finally, they compared the prevalence of occlusal lesions between the horses with pulpitis and the control group.

Results

• The researchers examined 120 horses which underwent tooth extractions, and only 40 met the study criteria.
• These 40 cases included 23 mandibular (lower jaw) and 21 maxillary (upper jaw) cheek tooth extractions.
• The control group, in contrast, consisted of 60 mandibular and 60 maxillary cheek teeth collected from seven cadaver skulls.
• They found a significant over-representation of secondary dentinal defects in extracted teeth from horses displaying symptoms of pulpitis (P < 0.001).
• A wide gap in the presence of defects was found with 56.5% of diseased mandibular cheek teeth showing defects compared to none in the control group. Similarly, 57% of the diseased maxillary cheek teeth had defects in contrast to just 1.6% of the control cases.
• Furthermore, multiple defective secondary dentinal areas and severe lesions were more common in diseased mandibular cheek teeth when compared with diseased maxillary cheek teeth.

Conclusions and Practical Significance

• The research underscores the importance of thorough examination of occlusal secondary dentine in suspected cases of pulpitis in equine cheek teeth.
• Recognizing secondary dentinal defects can serve as a diagnostic indicator for this kind of dental inflammation in horses, possibly enhancing the accuracy and sensitivity of oral examinations.