Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T08:26:25.087Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Long-term detrimental effects of tooth clipping or grinding in piglets: a histological approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

W Hay ,
J Rue ,
C Sansac ,
G Brunel  and
A Prunier
W Hay
Affiliation:
Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 23 Chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse, France
J Rue
Affiliation:
Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire de Toulouse, 3 Chemin des Maraîchers, 31062 Toulouse, France
C Sansac
Affiliation:
Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire de Toulouse, 3 Chemin des Maraîchers, 31062 Toulouse, France
G Brunel
Affiliation:
Faculté de Chirurgie Dentaire de Toulouse, 3 Chemin des Maraîchers, 31062 Toulouse, France
A Prunier*
Affiliation:
Unité Mixte de Recherche sur le Veau et le Porc, Institut Nationale de la Recherche Agronomique, 35590 St Gilles, France
*
* Correspondence: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The needle teeth of piglets are often cut shortly after birth to prevent damage to littermates and the sow's udder. This practise is, however, contested because the pain it inflicts to piglets may counterbalance its benefits. The purpose of this experiment was to assess the consequences of tooth resection over the subsequent days and weeks by histological examination. Two techniques were compared: tooth clipping with clippers, and tooth grinding with a rotating grindstone. Twenty piglets received each of three treatments (one treatment per half-jaw): clipping, grinding, and control (teeth left intact). Four piglets were slaughtered at each of the following stages: 3, 6, 13, 27 and 48 days after tooth resection. Their teeth were then collected and prepared for histological examination. The analysis revealed that both clipping and grinding induce lesions such as pulp cavity opening, fracture, haemorrhage, infiltration or abscess, and osteodentine formation. Wost of these effects appeared sooner and were of greater magnitude after clipping than after grinding. Because most of the observed histological alterations are known to cause severe pain in humans, it is likely that tooth resection — even when achieved through grinding — induces severe pain in piglets. Thus, the rationale of this practice should be re-evaluated.

Keywords

animal welfarehistologypainpiglettooth clippingtooth grinding
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 13 , Issue 1 , February 2004 , pp. 27 - 32
Copyright
© 2004 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Arbonnier, P 1966 L'analyse de l'information: aperçu théorique et application à la loi multinomiale. Annales des Sciences Forestières 23: 950–1020 [Title translation: Information analysis: a theoretical view and the multinomial application]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bataille, G, Rugraff, Y, Meunier-Salaün, MC, Brégeon, A and Prunier, A 2002 Conséquences comportementales, zootechniques et physiologiques de l’épointage des dents chez le porcelet. Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France 34: 203–210 [Title translation: Influence of tooth resection on behaviour, performance and physiology]Google Scholar
Brookes, JB and Lean, IJ 1993 Teeth clipping in piglets. British Society of Animal Production Abstracts 75: 437Google Scholar
Brown, JME, Edwards, SA, Smith, WJ, Thompson, E and Duncan, J 1996 Welfare and production implications of teeth clipping and iron injection of piglets in outdoor systems in Scotland. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 27: 95–105CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burger, A 1983 Consequences of clipping incisors in piglets. Thesis, Tierarztliche Fakultat der Ludwig-Maximilians, Universitat Munchen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Delbor, C, Beaudeau, F and Berger, F 2000 Intérêt de la section des dents et de l'injection de fer pour des porcelets nés en plein air. Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France 32: 129–134 [Title translation: Production implications of teeth clipping and iron injection of piglets born in outdoor systems]Google Scholar
Fraser, D 1975 The ‘teat order’ of suckling pigs. II: Fighting during suckling and the effects of clipping the eye teeth. Journal of Agricultural Science (Cambridge) 84: 393–399CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraser, D and Thompson, BK 1991 Armed sibling rivalry among suckling piglets. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 29: 9–15Google Scholar
Hutter, S, Heinritzi, K, Reich, E and Ehret, W 1994 Efficacité de différentes méthodes de résection des dents chez le porcelet non sevré. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire 145: 205–213 [Title translation: The effect of different methods of tooth resection in piglets]Google Scholar
Martoja, R and Martoja-Pierson, M 1967 Traitements spéciaux — décalcification. In: Martoja, R (ed) Initiation aux Techniques de l'Histologie Animale pp 61–62. Masson et Cie: Paris, France [Title translation: Special treatments — decalcification]Google Scholar
Milsom, KM, Tickle, M and Blinkhorn, AS 2002 Dental pain and dental treatment of young children attending the general dental service. British Dentistry Journal 192: 280–284Google ScholarPubMed
Ngassapa, D 1996 Correlation of clinical pain symptoms with histopathological changes of the dental pulp: a review. East African Medical Journal 73: 779–781Google ScholarPubMed
Noonan, GJ, Rand, JS, Priest, J, Ainscow, J and Blackshaw, JK 1994 Behavioural observations of piglets undergoing tail docking, teeth clipping and ear notching. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 39: 203–213CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prunier, A, Hay, M and Serviere, J 2002 Evaluation et prévention de la douleur induite par les interventions de convenance chez le porcelet. Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France 34: 257–268 [Title translation: Evaluation and prevention of pain related to tooth resection, tail docking and castration in piglets]Google Scholar
Robert, S, Thompson, BK and Fraser, D 1995 Selective tooth clipping in the management of low-birth-weight piglets. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 75: 285–289CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, HE 1987 Altérations pulpaires. In: Schroeder, HE (ed) Biopathologie des Structures Orales pp 99–123. CDP: Paris, France [Title translation: Pulp alterations]Google Scholar
Seltzer, S and Bender, IB 1975 The pulp as connective tissue. In: Seltzer, S and Bender, IB (eds) The Dental Pulp pp 76–97. JB Lippincott: Philadelphia, USAGoogle Scholar
Strom, I 1996 Arthritis in piglets. Dansk Veterinaertidsskrift 79: 575–577Google Scholar
Weary, DM and Fraser, D 1999 Partial tooth-clipping of suckling pigs: effects on neonatal competition and facial injuries. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 65: 21–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar