Equine Dental Disorders and Odontoclastic Resorption

Equine dental disorders encompass a spectrum of conditions affecting incisors, cheek teeth and supporting structures, with consequences ranging from masticatory dysfunction to chronic pain and systemic inflammation. Among these, equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH) represents a distinctive syndrome characterised by progressive loss of dental hard tissue through the activity of odontoclasts and compensatory deposition of excessive cementum. EOTRH predominantly affects aged horses, presents with radiographic irregularities at the apical and cervical regions of incisors and often leads to tooth loosening, gingival recession and periodontal compromise. Beyond EOTRH, equine dentistry confronts malocclusions, infundibular caries and pulpar–apical infections in cheek teeth that may extend to bone and sinuses. Advances in imaging, biomechanics and elemental mapping have begun to elucidate the pathogenesis of these disorders, revealing altered biomechanical loading of periodontal ligaments, microspatial variations in trace-metal uptake during mineralisation, and radiographic texture changes that precede gross clinical signs. Improved understanding of these processes underpins the development of early diagnostics, targeted preventive care and restorative interventions that aim to preserve oral health, welfare and performance in equine populations worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have employed high-resolution elemental mapping to investigate the microspatial distribution of trace elements in both healthy and hypercementosis-affected dental hard tissues of horses. By using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, investigators identified distinct banding patterns of certain heavy metals—such as lead, strontium and barium—in dentin layers, reflecting periodic accumulation during mineralisation. In contrast, essential elements like zinc and magnesium exhibited uniform distribution. Comparison of trace-element profiles between unaffected cementum and regions of hypercementosis suggested metabolic alterations associated with lesion development. These findings establish a baseline for elemental signatures in normal and diseased equine teeth and offer new insights into the biological processes driving odontoclastic resorption and aberrant cementum formation.

Equine Dental Disorders and Odontoclastic Resorption publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in equine dental disorders and odontoclastic resorption across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH): A syndrome in aged horses characterised by resorption of tooth structure by odontoclasts and excessive cementum deposition leading to dental instability.

Odontoclast: A specialised cell type responsible for the resorption of mineralised dental tissues such as dentin and cementum.

Hypercementosis: Pathological overgrowth of cementum on the tooth root, often in response to resorptive processes or mechanical stress.

Cementum: A calcified tissue covering the dental root that anchors the periodontal ligament to the tooth.

Computed tomography (CT): An imaging modality that provides cross-sectional and three-dimensional visualisation of dental and osseous structures.

Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS): An analytical technique for spatially resolved measurement of trace elements and isotopes in hard tissues.

References

1. Three-Dimensional Segmentation Assisted with Clustering Analysis for Surface and Volume Measurements of Equine Incisor in Multidetector Computed Tomography Data Sets. Sensors (2023).
2. Equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH): microspatial distribution of trace elements in hypercementosis-affected and unaffected hard dental tissues. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Application of Two-Dimensional Entropy Measures to Detect the Radiographic Signs of Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis in an Equine Model. Biomedicines (2022).
4. An application of the density standard and scaled–pixel–counting protocol to assess the radiodensity of equine incisor teeth affected by resorption and hypercementosis: preliminary advancement in dental radiography. BMC Veterinary Research (2023).
5. Periodontal biomechanics: finite element simulations of closing stroke and power stroke in equine cheek teeth. BMC Veterinary Research (2012).