Caries in the infundibulum of the second upper premolar tooth in the horse.
BACKGROUND
Swedish equine dental practices have empirically found that the prevalence of infundibular caries as a primary disorder in the first permanent premolar teeth (P2) of the horse upper jaw has increased during the last 10 years. A previously unknown bacterial species, Streptococcus devriesei (CCUG 47155T), which is related to Streptococcus mutans, has recently been isolated from these carious lesions. To understand the aetiology of caries in horses, it is essential to elucidate the relationship between S. devriesei and P2 infundibular caries.


METHODS
The anterior infundibulum of maxillary P2, or the occlusal surface at the site of the infundibulum, in 117 horses and ponies, 77 with and 40 without caries in this tooth, was sampled for bacteriological analyses between 1990 and 2004. Samples were transported in VMGA III medium and then inoculated onto MSB agar. The approximate number of bacteria was counted in each sample and the isolates were characterised biochemically, using a commercial kit.


RESULTS
All 50 samples taken from carious lesions after 2002 were positive for an S. mutans-like strain, i.e. S. devriesei. The bacteria were also found in four of the control animals, but were much less numerous than in samples from caries-affected horses. None of the swabs taken prior to 2002 were positive for this bacteria.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrate that S. devriesei can colonise the infundibulum of P2 of the horse upper jaw, which can be fatal for the dental tissue. We conclude that S. devriesei is strongly associated with P2 caries in horses.
Lundström
Torbjörn S
TS
Section of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. dtv@djurtandvardskliniken.se <dtv@djurtandvardskliniken.se>
Dahlén
Gunnar G
GG
Wattle
Ove S
OS
D000818:Animals; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013548:Sweden