Equine peripheral and infundibular dental caries: A review and proposals for their investigation

Summary Several different theories on the aetiology of dental caries have been proposed, but it is generally accepted that it is primarily caused by acidogenic microorganisms converting fermentable carbohydrates to acids. There is still some discussion on whether caries is caused by specific microorganisms or a nonspecific mix of different microorganisms and on whether caries is a classical infection or is caused by dysregulation of the normal oral bacteria (dysbiosis). Two types of dental caries are recognised in horses, i.e. peripheral dental caries and infundibular dental caries, with peripheral caries appearing to be increasingly recognised. Little is known about the prevalence and severity of peripheral dental caries in the general equine population, or the risk factors and microorganisms involved in its aetiopathogenesis. Limited pathological studies have shown 2 types of cemental destruction in equine peripheral caries, and indicate that gross dental examination underestimates the severity of equine peripheral caries.