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Periodontal disease and tooth root abscesses
Synonym(s): tooth decay, dental disease, teeth
Introduction
- Dental problems are relatively uncommon in cattle, but periodontal disease and tooth root abscesses can occur, as with any species.
Presenting signs
- Signs:
- Periodontal disease: inappetance, dysphagia, body condition loss, halitosis, gingivitis, tooth loosening, tooth loss.
- Tooth root abscess: as above and unusual jaw movements, facial swelling, fistula, sinusitis.
Geographic incidence
- Worldwide.
- Brazil:
- A particular type of periodontal disease is seen in Brazil. It is known as "cara inchada".
- It involves inflammation of the periodontium of calves and older Zebu cattle and results in alveolar periostitis.
Age predisposition
- Periodontal disease: usually seen in older cattle, associated with an increased duration of time exposed to risk factors
- Tooth root abscesses: young / growing cattle are over-represented. This is often associated with shedding of deciduous teeth.
- Teething: although not a disease process; salivation, discomfort and occasionally some weight loss may be observed when temporary incisors are being replaced with permanent teeth,.
Pathogenesis
Predisposing factors
General
- Poor nutrition.
- Aging.
- Malocclusions.
Specific
- Diastema between teeth.
- Malpositioned teeth.
- Oral bacterial infections such as Actinobaciliosis Actinobacillosis
.
Pathophysiology
- Periodontal disease:
- Bacterial gingivitis, typically the result of food impaction in the gingival sulcus or interproximal spaces between teeth or diastema, leads to acute gingivitis.
- This in turn, results in progressive chronic inflammation of the gingival sulcus.
- Plaque-forming microorganisms destroy the periodontal ligament, allowing periodontal pockets to form.
- This facilitates further food impaction and tooth loosening.
- Gum recession develops.
- Further food and debris accumulates in periodontal pockets and alveolus becomes infected.
- Tooth root abscessation:
- Loss of tooth (natural shedding / pathologic) exposes alveolus and allows food / debris accumulations within the socket.
- Oral microorganism ingress, leading the establishment of infection and abscessation.
- Can be the result of periodontal disease.
- May be a sequelae to another oral cavity infection (eg Actinomyces Actinomyces) or as the result of direct trauma
.
Diagnosis
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Treatment
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Prevention
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Outcomes
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Further Reading
Publications
Refereed Papers
- Recent references from PubMed and VetMedResource.
- Borsanelli A C, Viora L, Lappin D F, Bennett D et al (2016) Periodontal lesions in slaughtered cattle in west of Scotland. Vet Rec 179, 652-654.
Other sources of information
- Smith B P (2002) Large Animal Internal Medicine. 3rd edn. In: Diseases of the alimentary tract. pp 695-699.
- Jones T C, Hunt R D & King N W (1997) Veterinary Pathology. 6th edn. In: The Digestive System. pp 1044.