Equine cheek tooth extraction: Comparison of outcomes for five extraction methods

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Surgery
• Equine Dentistry
• Comparative Outcomes

Background:

• Equine cheek tooth extraction methods carry varying risks of post-operative complications.
• A comparative analysis of common extraction techniques is essential for informed clinical decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the types and incidence of post-operative complications across five equine cheek tooth extraction methods.
• Methods compared include oral extraction, three surgical approaches to tooth repulsion, and lateral buccotomy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective clinical study analyzing hospital medical records from 1997-2013.
• Logistic regression used to assess complication likelihoods for oral extraction, maxillary/mandibular trephination, maxillary sinus bone flap repulsion, and lateral buccotomy.

Main Results:

• Oral extraction (n=55) showed the lowest complication rate (20%), while repulsion by sinus bone flap (n=20) had the highest (80%).
• Repulsion by sinus bone flap significantly increased risks of adjacent tooth damage, sinusitis, alveolar bone damage, and orosinus fistulation.
• Lateral buccotomy (n=15) increased facial nerve neuropraxia risk; maxillary trephination (n=19) increased surgical site infection risk. Post-operative pyrexia was more common with repulsion methods.

Conclusions:

• Oral extraction was associated with significantly fewer post-operative complications compared to other evaluated equine cheek tooth extraction techniques.
• Standing oral extraction remains the preferred method, with ongoing surgical advancements expected to enhance its success rates further.