Clinical diagnosis of dental disease

Dental diseases are common in horses, reported by several studies in the past 10 years with prevalences from 49 to 99% with at least one pathology identified. The most common associated signs are low body condition score, abnormal head movement during exercises or bitting problems, among others, they can impact severely the horse performance and reproductive succes rate.

In this lecture we will review important steps in clinical diagnosis of dental problems in horses, including sedation, equipment and common dental diseases

The clinical examination of the horses mouth should start with clinical history, follow by complete physical and head exam, looking facial asymetries or swellings, halitosis, among others. Sedation is critical for achieved detailed visualization of soft and hard tissues, and for severe pain pathologies should be necesary nerve blocks. Equipment for exploration should include a power light, rinse syringe or flusher, mirrors, cheek retractors, dental explorers and scalers, periodontal probes and alligators fórceps or periodontal fórceps. Radiology still is the most common complementary exam used, but in the past few year great advances have been shown in oroscopy and computed tomography of the equine head.

Is neccesary a comprehensive knowledge of teeth anatomy for detecting pathologies, especial concern and detailed examination of oclusal surface (mesial/distal infundibulum, secondary dentin and hard tissues of the clinical Crown), interdental spaces and every arcade surface or side (Buccal and lingual/palatal). Frequent sites for soft tissue damage are rostral tongue, bars of the mandible, oral mucosa close to cheek teeth.

Common pathologies are dental maloclussions (focal overgrowths or tipe I) in horses of all ages with reports from 25 to 99%, and Periodontal disease with reports from 3,9 to 85%. Less frequent we can can oberved congenital diseases (Braquignatism, rotated or displaced teeth), eruption abnormalities (retained deciduous teeth) and caries.