A Standard Method for Intraoral Dental Radiography With Dental Photo-Stimulative Phosphor (PSP) Plates in Big Cats

Abstract

In recent years, dentistry has steadily gained more prominence in veterinary medicine, including exotic and wild animal medicine. It is known that dental diseases are among the most common diseases in captured big cats. However, so far, there is no standardized method for dental radiography in these animals. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a standardized procedure for the systematic radiographic examination of the teeth in big cats. In total, 34 big cats, including 21 lions and 13 tigers, of different ages were examined. Animals that needed treatment for known dental diseases and those that had to be anesthetized for other medically necessary procedures and dental health status examinations were included. Intraoral dental radiographs were captured with digital imaging plates designed for intraoral dental radiography in horses. Based on the intraoral dental radiography procedures used in domestic cats, both the bisecting angle technique and parallel technique were used. A hemisphere model originally developed for horses was used to describe the path and position of the x-ray beam as accurately as possible. The results demonstrated that it was possible to completely image all the teeth of big cat dentition on seven radiographs using the described method. This method can be used to acquire high-quality intraoral dental radiographs in big cats, aiding in the quick and reliable diagnosis of dental diseases.

Evaluation of Dental and Oral Pathologies of 36 Captive Lions (Panthera leo) and Tigers (Panthera tigris)

“…3,5,[7][8][9][10]21,30 Examination of the oral cavity should also include intraoral dental radiographs, which are as significant for the adequate diagnosis of dental disease in large felids as in domestic cats. 1,3,5,7,9,10,43 Obligatory indications for dental radiographs are missing teeth, tooth fractures, discolored teeth, periodontal disease, areas with soft tissue abnormalities, and changes in the jaw bones. 11,43,63 Dental radiographs should also be performed before and after every endodontic and exodontic procedure.…”

“…1,3,5,7,9,10,43 Obligatory indications for dental radiographs are missing teeth, tooth fractures, discolored teeth, periodontal disease, areas with soft tissue abnormalities, and changes in the jaw bones. 11,43,63 Dental radiographs should also be performed before and after every endodontic and exodontic procedure. 43,63 Performing targeted intraoral dental radiographs of areas where abnormalities were identified during an inspection of the awake animal and on oral examination under anesthesia must be the minimum standard for systematic examination of the oral cavity of big cats.…”

“…11,43,63 Dental radiographs should also be performed before and after every endodontic and exodontic procedure. 43,63 Performing targeted intraoral dental radiographs of areas where abnormalities were identified during an inspection of the awake animal and on oral examination under anesthesia must be the minimum standard for systematic examination of the oral cavity of big cats. 7,43 Full-mouth radiographs are standard in domestic cat dentistry 79 and should also be performed in large felids whenever possible to reliably exclude diseases not visible on oral examination.…”

“…43,63 Performing targeted intraoral dental radiographs of areas where abnormalities were identified during an inspection of the awake animal and on oral examination under anesthesia must be the minimum standard for systematic examination of the oral cavity of big cats. 7,43 Full-mouth radiographs are standard in domestic cat dentistry 79 and should also be performed in large felids whenever possible to reliably exclude diseases not visible on oral examination. 7,43 However, based on this study, full-mouth radiographs should be performed as a standard procedure in big cat dentistry, since six animals had findings detected exclusively by dental radiography that were not detectable by visual inspection.…”

“…Intraoral dental radiographs were obtained in 34 of the 36 big cats examined (Table 3) using a standard technique recently described for big cats. 43 The findings of the clinical and radiographic examination were classified according to the guidelines of the AVDC 41…”