Prevalence of oro-dental pathology in a working horse population in Egypt and its relation to equine health.
Authors: Salem S E, Townsend N B, Refaai W, Gomaa M, Archer D C
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Oro-dental pathology in Egyptian working horses A cross-sectional survey of 450 working horses across two Egyptian provinces revealed alarming levels of untreated dental disease, with 45.3% presenting moderate and 8.4% severe oro-dental pathology despite none having received prior professional dental examination or treatment. Sharp enamel points (79.8% prevalence) and oral mucosal injuries (64.2%) were the predominant findings, with mucosal trauma significantly associated with advancing age, focal dental overgrowths and enamel points themselves (odds ratios ranging from 1.1 to 6.3 across risk factors). Severely compromised body condition scores correlated strongly with severe dental disease (OR 2.6), older age groups (16–30 years: OR 3.5) and markers of poor systemic health including lower packed cell volume. These findings underscore that even basic preventive dental care—scaling and occlusal equilibration—could substantially improve welfare and nutritional status in this working population, highlighting an urgent need for owner education and greater availability of trained equine dental practitioners in resource-limited settings.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Basic dental prophylaxis could significantly improve health and welfare in working horse populations with limited veterinary access; educating owners on oro-dental disease importance is critical
- •Regular dental examinations to manage sharp enamel points and overgrowths can prevent oral mucosal injuries and associated pain that compromises feeding and performance
- •Poor body condition in older working horses (16-30 years) warrants dental assessment as a primary diagnostic consideration before attributing weight loss to other causes
Key Findings
- •45.3% of working horses had moderate oro-dental disease and 8.4% had severe disease, with none having received prior dental examination or treatment
- •Oral mucosal injuries (64.2%) and sharp enamel points (79.8%) were most prevalent, with sharp enamel points showing 6.3-fold increased odds of causing mucosal injuries
- •Severe dental disease was associated with 2.6-fold increased odds of poor body condition score
- •Age 16-30 years, smaller body height, and lower packed cell volume were independent risk factors for poor body condition