When it comes to periodontal disease, red complex bacteria could be a red flag for impending tooth reabsorption.

Austrian researchers recently determined that the presence of red complex bacteria in crevicular fluid (the fluid coming from between the tooth and the gum) could mean a horse has a greater chance of having equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis (EOTRH).

“Finding red complex bacteria when there is periodontal disease in horses is important for a differential diagnosis of early stage EOTRH,” said Sabine Sykora, PhD, of the Equine Clinic at the University of Veterinary Medicine, in Vienna, Austria.

In her pioneering study, Sykora and her fellow researchers successfully isolated red complex bacteria DNA in association with EOTRH. This type of bacteria is commonly found in humans with periodontal disease, but Sykora’s study is the first to detect this marker in equids