Link Found Between Visible Lesions on the Chewing Surface of Teeth and Pulpitis in Horses
Pulpitis in Horses
Research funded by The Horse Trust has discovered a link between lesions on the chewing surface of horse teeth and pulpitis. This finding could allow earlier and more effective treatment of pulpitis, a painful inflammation of the pulp within a tooth which can lead to a tooth root abscess.
The research, which has been accepted for publication by the Equine Veterinary Journal, was carried out by Miriam Casey, who is in the final year of a three year clinical training scholarship programme at Bristol University funded by The Horse Trust.
It can be difficult to identify a tooth affected by pulpitis in horses, meaning that the condition often remains untreated until it has reached an advanced stage, by which time tooth estraction, which can be a major procedure in the horse, is the main treatment option. Radiography can be used to help diagnose pulpitis, but studies have shown that it has limited sensitivity and specificity1.
Casey investigated the association between lesions in the secondary dentine2 of teeth and pulpitis by comparing the cheek teeth that had been extracted from 44 horses with pulpitis, with 120 teeth from 7 control cadavers with no history of dental disease.
She found that of the 23 diseased mandibular teeth3, 13 (57%) had defects in the secondary dentine compared to none of 60 controls. Of the 21 diseased maxillary teeth4, 12 (57%) had defects compared to 1 (2%) of 60 controls.
"These findings show that examining the chewing surface of a horses' teeth could help with identifying pulpitis. Vets will need to use a dental mirror or oral endoscope to see these changes - you could easily miss them if you are not looking carefully," said Casey.
Casey hopes that her findings will allow vets to diagnose and detect teeth affected by pulpitis at an earlier stage, allowing the tooth to be treated earlier and avoiding the need for tooth removal.
She said further research is needed to investigate whether defects in the secondary dentine are causing pulpitis, or whether they are a consequence of pulpitis due to another reason, such as anachoresis (the deposition of bacteria from the bloodstream in the damaged pulp tissue).
1 For more information on the limitations of radiography see:
Gibbs, C. and Lane, J.G. (1987) Radiographic examination of the facial, nasal and paranasal sinus regions of the horse. II. Radiological findings. Equine Vet J 19, 474-482.
Weller, R., Livesey, L., Maierl, J., Nuss, K., Bowen, I.M., Cauvin, E.R., Weaver, M., Schumacher, J. and May, S.A. (2001) Comparison of radiography and scintigraphy in the diagnosis of dental disorders in the horse. Equine Vet J 33, 49-58.
Barakzai, S. (2006a) Sensitivity and Specificity of Radiography of the Head. In: Proceedings of the British Equine Veterinary Association, Birmingham. pp 276-277.
2 Dentine is a tissue within the tooth that lies between the pulp cavity and enamel. Secondary dentine, which is coloured brown, forms after the initial eruption of a tooth, as the tooth develops with age.
3 Mandibular teeth are teeth from the lower jaw.
4 Maxillary teeth are teeth from the upper jaw.
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