One of the most valuable aspects of working at a large specialty equine clinic is that we have a diversity of skill sets and knowledge, including sports medicine, surgery, radiology, internal medicine, dentistry, reproduction and alternative medicine. It’s very valuable for a practitioner to be able to seek other opinions, and this month I’ve called upon some of my colleagues at PBEC to help get you the best answers!
We purchased my mare 12 years ago. She is an amazing horse, but is now at a retirement facility. One morning, the retirement facility let us know that my horse wasn’t eating and that they thought she had been experiencing toothaches. We had it checked out and she was diagnosed with a rare tooth disease known as EOTRH. What causes this? Is there a cure to the condition? Are there signs to look for so that we can prevent this in my other horses?
Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis (EOTRH) is a dental disease characterized by the dissolving of incisor and canine tooth roots. This is a condition mainly seen in horses of 15-plus years, and predominantly seen in warmbloods, Thoroughbreds and Arabians. I discussed the condition with PBEC’s Dr. Tyler Davis, who has a keen interest and experience in the field of equine dentistry.
Dr. Davis said that the disease has likely been present in the equine population for many years, but has only recently been recognized as a specific disease since horses are living longer and we’re paying closer attention to what’s going on inside their mouths.
We don’t know what causes this disease, but there are theories, including insufficient time spent grazing, age-related change, dental trauma and stress of mastication (chewing) on the teeth. Endocrine conditions like equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and Cushing’s disease can increase the likelihood for EOTRH.
The cure for the disease is extraction of the affected teeth. Since we do not know what causes the disease, there currently is no preventive treatment.
Diagnosis is based on both a good oral exam by a veterinarian and oral radiographs of the incisors. Often the owner does not recognize the disease until it has progressed greatly. At this time, the owner may notice the horse has difficulty eating, or more commonly, will not take hard treats such as carrots. I had a patient that continued to eat carrots, but would only grab with its lips and then bypass its incisors to chew with its molars. It may simply be that a horse seems more irritable than normal or becomes difficult to bridle. We’re unable to prevent EOTRH, but with early detection, we can reduce any pain or eating-related issues associated with this disease. Early detection can be especially important with teeth affected by hypercementosis, as these roots become bulbous, which can destroy surrounding tissue and in my experience, make extraction more difficult.