BACKGROUND Dental disease is a troublesome health concern in alpacas. Specifically, the occurrence of tooth root abscesses has been described in veterinary literature. Nevertheless, no objective prevalence data are available for dental disorders in alpacas. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of dental disorders in alpaca herds in Belgium and the Netherlands. To study the associations between the different dental disorders encountered in alpacas. ANIMALS A total of 228 alpacas (Vicugna pacos) originating from 25 farms. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study. Dental disorders were diagnosed by dental examination of sedated animals using a dental mirror or a portable rigid oroscope. RESULTS At the animal level, 82% (n = 187) had dental disorders of which 74.6, 41.7, and 3.9% were cheek teeth, incisor disorders, and canine disorders, respectively. At the level of the cheek teeth, diastemata (43.1%) were most common, followed by wear abnormalities (WA; 39.6%) and periodontal disease (PD; 33.3%). A significant association was detected between the presence of diastemata and PD (odds ratio [OR], 13.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.6-27.7; P < .001). Pulp exposure was significantly associated with the presence of diastemata (OR, 11.8; 95% CI, 3.8-51.5; P < .001), PD (OR, 8.2; 95% CI, 3.1-25.3; P < .001) and WA (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-7.4; P = .002). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Dental disorders are highly prevalent in alpacas in Belgium and the Netherlands. Several dental disorders in alpacas had significant associations. To prevent the development of advanced stages of dental disease, routine dental examinations are advised to allow early detection and prompt treatment.

中文翻译：

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羊驼的牙齿疾病。第 1 部分：牙齿疾病的患病率及其相互关系。


背景技术对于羊驼来说，牙齿疾病是一个令人烦恼的健康问题。具体而言，兽医文献中已经描述了牙根脓肿的发生。然而，目前还没有羊驼牙齿疾病的客观患病率数据。假设/目标 确定比利时和荷兰羊驼群中牙齿疾病的患病率。研究羊驼遇到的不同牙齿疾病之间的关联。动物 共有 228 只羊驼 (Vicugna pacos)，来自 25 个农场。方法 这是一项横断面研究。牙齿疾病是通过使用牙科镜或便携式硬质口腔镜对镇静动物进行牙科检查来诊断的。结果 在动物水平上，82% (n = 187) 患有牙齿疾病，其中 74.6%、41.7% 和 3.9% 分别为颊牙、门牙疾病和犬齿疾病。在颊齿水平，间隙（43.1%）最常见，其次是磨损异常（WA；39.6%）和牙周病（PD；33.3%）。检测到纵裂的存在与 PD 之间存在显着关联（比值比 [OR]，13.1；95% 置信区间 [CI]，6.6-27.7；P < .001）。牙髓暴露与纵裂的存在显着相关（OR，11.8；95% CI，3.8-51.5；P < .001）、PD（OR，8.2；95% CI，3.1-25.3；P < .001）和 WA（OR，2.9；95% CI，1.2-7.4；P = .002）。结论和临床重要性 牙齿疾病在比利时和荷兰的羊驼中非常普遍。羊驼的几种牙齿疾病有显着的关联。为了防止牙科疾病发展到晚期，建议定期进行牙科检查，以便及早发现并及时治疗。