Abstract
Domestic rabbits are increasing in popularity as household pets; therefore, veterinarians need to be familiar with the most common diseases afflicting rabbits including dental disease. Current diagnostic approaches include gross oral examination, endoscopic oral examination, skull radiography, and computed tomography (CT). Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), a new oral and maxillofacial imaging modality that has the capability to produce high-resolution images, has not yet been described for use in evaluating dental disease in rabbits. A total of 15 client-owned rabbits had CBCT, oral examination, dental charting, and dental treatment performed under general anesthesia. Images were evaluated using transverse and custom multiplanar (MPR), 3D, and panoramic reconstructed images. The CBCT findings were grouped into abnormalities that could be detected on conscious oral examination vs. abnormalities that could not be detected by conscious oral examination. Potential associations between the two categories were examined by pairwise Fisher’s exact test with statistical significance determined by P < 0.05. The most common findings identified on CBCT images were periodontal ligament space widening (14/15), premolar and molar malocclusion (13/15), apical elongation (13/15), coronal elongation (12/15), inflammatory tooth resorption (12/15), periapical lucency (11/15), moth-eaten pattern of osteolysis of the alveolar bone (9/15), ventral mandibular border contour changes (9/15), and missing teeth (8/15). Of the CBCT abnormalities likely to be observed on oral examination, coronal elongation (detectable on oral examination) was significantly associated with apical elongation (P = 0.029). There were no other significant associations between CBCT findings that are also clinically detectable and CBCT findings that are not be detectable on oral examination. This suggests that pathology often exists that is not apparent upon oral examination. This study establishes the common CBCT findings associated with dental disease in rabbits and demonstrates the feasibility of this technology to diagnose and plan treatment in dental disorders in this species.
Highlights
Domestic rabbits are increasing in popularity as household pets
The results of this study support our hypothesis that Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) will detect dental pathology that cannot be observed or predicted by physical and oral examinations alone
Abnormalities detected on physical and oral examinations are not necessarily associated with the presence of dental abnormalities, such as periodontal ligament space widening, periapical lucencies, moth-eaten osteolysis of the alveolar bone, or inflammatory tooth resorption that will influence the choice of treatment
Summary
Domestic rabbits are increasing in popularity as household pets. Veterinarians need to be familiar with the most common diseases afflicting rabbits including dental disease. The continuous growth of rabbit teeth make them susceptible to a plethora of oromaxillofacial and dental abnormalities such as malocclusion, coronal and apical elongation, sharp dental points, lingual and buccal mucosal ulcers, facial abscesses, endodontal disease, diastema formation, feed impaction, and periodontal disease [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Physiologic wear due to mastication and occlusal contact compensates for the continuous growth of teeth; malocclusion and dental disease are common among domestic rabbits [7]. The causes for dental disease and malocclusion may include trauma, congenital abnormalities, improper diet, and preexisting malocclusion. Depending on the teeth affected, ocular and nasal discharge as well as exophthalmos can occur [4, 8, 9]
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