Prevalence and etiology of dentoalveolar trauma in 1,592 United States military working dogs: A 1-year retrospective study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to quantify the overall prevalence and classification of traumatic dentoalveolar injury (TDI) in a large population of military working dogs (MWDs). The medical records of 1,592 MWDs undergoing routine oral exam and periodontal treatment over a 1-year period were reviewed. The MWDs were located at over 100 military veterinary treatment facilities across the globe. Patient signalment, occupational duty certification, tooth injured, and trauma etiology were recorded. The overall prevalence of TDI was 43.6%. The mean number of TDI per MWD was 1.2. Maxillary tooth fractures were the most common at 60.9% compared to mandibular tooth fractures 39.1%. The most common TDI was enamel-dentin-pulp fractures which accounted for 59.9% of all injuries. Specialized Search Dogs (SSDs) had the highest average of enamel-dentin and enamel-dentin-pulp tooth trauma. Incidental findings with an unknown cause accounted for the majority of tooth trauma 69.2% followed by housing 18.2%, bite work 6.2%, and blunt force trauma 6.0%. The frequency of TDI in the MWD population was substantial, with more than one out of every four MWDs requiring treatment. The probability of a tooth injury in the MWD population was nearly double compared to the pet dog population. Tooth type and age were significant predictors of severe tooth trauma requiring treatment. Improved understanding of MWD tooth trauma prevalence and risk factors will help drive change while maintaining deployment readiness of the team.

Noncombat injury and illness prevalence and working score percentage quantify the impact on duty availability in US Army Special Operations military working dogs

“…The prevalence of dental injuries in our report (19.8%) was lower than a recent study by Bilyard et al 16 on dental trauma in a population of US MWDs, which found that the 1-year prevalence of traumatic dental injury was 43.6% (n = 596). 16 However, our study included only dental injuries that resulted in lost duty days and thus was not a comprehensive measure of all dental issues. This likely resulted in a lower respective prevalence of dental injuries.…”

Traumatic dentoalveolar fracture in a dog—An unusual and misdiagnosed injury

“…A 1‐year retrospective study in military working dogs from the United States reported that the overall prevalence of traumatic dentoalveolar injury was 43.6%, with a mean number of injuries per dog of 1.2. In this study, maxillary tooth fractures were more frequent than mandibular tooth fractures; incidental findings with an unknown cause accounted for most tooth trauma, followed by housing, bite work and blunt force trauma 14 . Another study revealed dentoalveolar injuries were common among dogs and cats with maxillofacial fractures.…”

“…In this study, maxillary tooth fractures were more frequent than mandibular tooth fractures; incidental findings with an unknown cause accounted for most tooth trauma, followed by housing, bite work and blunt force trauma. 14 Another study revealed dentoalveolar injuries were common among dogs and cats with maxillofacial fractures. The authors pointed out that age and trauma mechanisms were significant predictors of dentoalveolar injuries in these patients.…”

Evaluating Disease Patterns of Military Working Dogs in the Republic of Korea: A Retrospective Study

“…Tooth fractures and periodontal diseases were the most common dental diseases. Traumatic dental injuries, including tooth fractures, can result from a variety of factors such as training, housing or environmental conditions, and behavior [ 19 , 20 ]. While the number of cases evaluating the causes of dental injuries in the medical records of AFMRI was limited, tooth fractures in Korean MWDs may be also related to a similar etiology.…”