Standing intraoral extractions of cheek teeth aided by partial crown removal in 165 horses (2010-2016).
Authors: Rice M K, Henry T J
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Standing Intraoral Extraction of Cheek Teeth with Partial Crown Removal Rice and Henry's retrospective analysis of 194 diseased cheek teeth extracted from 165 horses between 2010 and 2016 demonstrates that partial crown removal—a technique involving controlled reduction of the tooth crown prior to extraction—substantially improves the success rate of standing intraoral procedures. With a 99.4% primary success rate (164/165 horses) and only 0.6% requiring standing repulsion, this approach represents a significant advance over traditional extraction methods that typically necessitate invasive techniques such as buccotomy or repulsion. Whilst 15.2% of cases required supplementary techniques (minimally invasive transbuccal extraction or sectioning), intraoperative complications remained modest at 6.7% (fractured root tips), and post-operative complications were rare at 3.6%, limited primarily to alveolar sequestra and one persistent draining tract. For practitioners managing chronic dental disease, this work suggests that partial coronectomy—the authors' preferred terminology—offers a minimally invasive, standing alternative with excellent long-term prognosis, though successful application requires specialist instrumentation and formal training in the technique. The high success rate and low morbidity profile make this a compelling option to discuss with owners seeking to avoid the recovery complications and anaesthetic risks associated with conventional repulsion or open extraction methods.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Partial crown removal (partial coronectomy) offers an excellent alternative to traditional invasive extraction techniques with 99.4% success rate and low complication rates
- •This technique requires specialized instrumentation and specific training but delivers superior outcomes for standing intraoral cheek tooth extraction
- •Post-operative complications are rare (3.6%), making this a practical option for managing diseased cheek teeth in practice with appropriate expertise
Key Findings
- •Standing intraoral extraction of cheek teeth assisted by partial crown removal was successful in 164/165 horses (99.4%)
- •25 horses (15.2%) required additional intraoral methods including transbuccal approach or tooth sectioning to complete extraction
- •Intraoperative complications of fractured root tips occurred in 6.7% of cases (11/165 horses)
- •Post-operative complications were minimal at 3.6% (6/165 horses), primarily alveolar sequestra and delayed healing