A new equine peripheral caries grading system: Are the caries likely active or inactive?

Summary

# Editorial Summary Peripheral caries in equine teeth presents a significant welfare concern, yet emerging evidence suggests that complete resolution is achievable when underlying risk factors are identified and addressed. Jackson, Kelty and Tennant developed a novel grading system to differentiate between active (progressive) and inactive (static or improving) carious lesions, addressing a critical clinical gap: determining which cases require intervention versus those likely to stabilise with management alone. By establishing objective criteria for assessing caries activity status, this classification system provides practitioners with a practical framework to guide treatment decisions and prognostication, moving beyond simple presence/absence documentation to meaningful stratification of disease state. The ability to confidently distinguish active from inactive lesions should improve clinical outcomes by directing resources toward cases most likely to benefit from intervention whilst avoiding unnecessary treatment of self-limiting lesions. For farriers, veterinarians and other equine professionals involved in preventive care, this represents a valuable tool for evidence-based case management and client communication regarding prognosis and treatment necessity.

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Key Findings

• •A new grading system has been proposed to differentiate between active (deteriorating) and inactive (improving) equine peripheral caries
• •Complete reversal of peripheral caries may be possible if primary risk factors are identified and corrected
• •Determination of caries activity status is critical for formulating appropriate management and treatment plans

Conditions Studied

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