Radiological prevalence of equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis.

Summary

# Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis: Prevalence and Radiological Detection Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) represents a significant welfare concern in aged horses, causing progressive destruction and pain primarily affecting incisors and canine teeth, yet its true prevalence remains poorly characterised outside existing literature. Rehrl and colleagues conducted a radiological examination of horses in Germany to establish baseline prevalence data and improve early detection protocols, recognising that the condition is likely substantially underdiagnosed in clinical practice due to reliance on clinical signs alone. The radiographical assessment methodology enabled identification of lesions at earlier, potentially more treatable stages of the disease process, with findings revealing the extent of EOTRH occurrence across the surveyed population. For farriers, veterinarians and equine therapists, these prevalence data underline the importance of advocating for routine intraoral radiography in older horses as part of preventative dental assessment, particularly given that early radiological changes precede obvious clinical deterioration. The study provides clinically actionable evidence that systematic radiographic screening rather than reactive diagnosis could substantially improve outcomes and welfare by identifying EOTRH before horses develop the acute pain and functional impairment that characterise advanced disease.

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Key Findings

• •EOTRH is a painful and progressive dental disease primarily affecting incisors and canine teeth in aged horses
• •Radiographic examination is essential for detecting early stages of EOTRH
• •EOTRH prevalence in Germany is unknown and the disease is likely underdiagnosed

Conditions Studied

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