A retrospective study of dental floating on pregnancy outcomes in Thoroughbred broodmares
A retrospective study of dental floating on pregnancy outcomes in Thoroughbred broodmares
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In our edition of: Jun 2025
In our categories of: equine
our summary:
Kelley, D. et al. (2025) A retrospective study of dental floating on pregnancy outcomes in Thoroughbred broodmares. Equine Veterinary Education.
The aim of this retrospective study was to determine if routine dental floating in Thoroughbred broodmares was associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Records of dental examinations of Thoroughbred broodmares carried out at an equine hospital and three Thoroughbred breeding farms in the United States between 2013-2021 were reviewed. All mares had received a full oral exam by a diplomate of the American Veterinary Dental College using a full mouth speculum under sedation, and all dental floats were carried out with a motorised water-cooling dental system.
Only mares with normal dental exams met the inclusion criteria. Data extracted from the records included mare age at the time of dental float, farm location, time of dental float, date of last breeding, and outcome of the pregnancy. For the statistical analysis the time of the dental procedure was categorised in two ways: (1) having occurred either when the mare was open (floated prior to pregnancy) or pregnant; or (2) when the mare was open, during the first trimester (0-114 days), second trimester (115-228 days) or third trimester (>229 days) of pregnancy.
A total of 253 mares with 414 dental floats were included in the analysis. Mares that were floated when open (58/414) had an abortion rate of 8.6%, for pregnant mares the abortion rates during the first trimester was 2.3%, during the second trimester 4.1% and during the third trimester 0%. The still birth rates were floated when open (0%), during the first trimester (3.6%), during the second trimester (5.6%), and during the third trimester (2.0%). Placentitis was diagnosed in zero mares floated at open or during first trimester; and in 7.6% and 5.6% of mares floated during the second and third trimester, respectively.
In both logistic regression models a significant association between the age of the mare at the time of float and abortion was found. For stillbirth age at float and location of farm were significant in the first model only (open or pregnant). Location of farm was associated with the diagnosis of placentitis, but this was not significant and may be in part due to different management and screening practices for placentitis during pregnancy between farms.
Limitations of the study include the retrospective nature and that there was no control population.
This study provides some evidence that routine dental floating during pregnancy in mares is a safe procedure meaning that dental care can take place at any point in a broodmares production cycle. Future research investigating whether dental disease or more invasive dental procedures increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes is needed.
The following may also be of interest:
Equine dentistry [BEVA] [online] Available from: https://www.beva.org.uk/Guidance-and-Resources/Routine-Healthcare/dentistry [Accessed 20 June 2025]
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