This podcast is a mix of two subjects. The first subject concerns oral care and teeth health in horses. I go over a paper about peripheral carries, which is the decay of the outer edge of the cheek teeth near the gum line. I explain how the tooth is demineralized (loses minerals) as the pH of the oral cavity changes by the food and water consumed. 

I also looked at two related papers. One goes over the prevalence of EOTRH (a disease of the jaw, incisors, and canine teeth of horses) in Icelandic horses living in Germany, and the other paper discusses the incidence of oral health of the incisors and canines of Icelandic horses residing in Iceland, their natural environment.

The second subject of this podcast is understanding the scientific method of reporting studies and the interpretation and further questioning I have after reading them. It requires a mind willing not to take things at face value. There is no right or wrong to my interpretations. However, I make a clear point: reading scientific papers requires a lot of thought. Being spoon-fed information gets us all in trouble while thinking “outside the box” creates more questions than answers. Through better questioning, better solutions evolve.

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