The Hidden Impact of Poor Dental Health in Cattle

When we talk about herd health, we tend to focus on the big, familiar challenges: fertility, mastitis, lameness, and nutrition. Yet there is a silent factor influencing every one of these areas and it’s one that rarely appears in routine farm health plans: dental health.

A pilot study conducted at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies examined ten dairy cows culled for common reasons such as lameness, mastitis, or infertility. Surprisingly, none were culled for dental issues. Despite this, every single cow examined had at least one form of dental disease, suggesting that dental conditions could be far more widespread across the UK dairy herd than previously recognised.

The findings were striking. All ten cows showed sharp enamel edges, which can make chewing uncomfortable and reduce effective mastication.

Every cow also presented with wave mouth, an uneven occlusal surface believed to reduce feed efficiency and cause discomfort. Such irregular wear may be linked to the shift from forage‑based diets to modern concentrate‑and‑silage feeding systems.

In addition, pathological diastemata — unnatural gaps between teeth — were found in seven out of ten cows. These gaps often become impacted with food, leading to infection and the development of periodontal disease.

One cow even had a severe dental abscess, discovered in the interdental space, with an infection deep enough to affect the surrounding maxillary bone. This level of pathology almost certainly caused long‑term pain, yet had gone entirely unnoticed during life.

What’s also notable is that dental disease was found across all ages in the sample, from 3.6 years old to nearly 10 years indicating that these problems can develop early and progress silently.

Why Is Dental Disease So Common?

Cattle teeth evolved to process long, fibrous pasture, requiring extensive chewing. Modern dairy diets, however, often rely heavily on shorter‑fiber forage and higher-concentrate rations, which reduce chewing time and may alter normal tooth wear patterns. This may help explain why uneven wear, sharp edges, and diastemata were so frequently observed.

Once a diastema forms, food can pack tightly into the space. Over time, this impaction can cause inflammation, infection, and even deep abscesses that spread into bone. This progression is well documented in horses and is increasingly recognised in cattle as well.

Why It Matters for Health, Welfare, and Performance

Dental discomfort directly affects a cow’s ability to eat. Reduced feed intake leads to poorer rumen fill, reduced milk production, and loss of body condition. Chronic mouth pain can also alter behaviour and negatively influence welfare assessment.

Despite this, routine bovine dental examinations are not yet common practice, partly due to limited tools, inconsistent training, and the longstanding assumption that dental disease is rare in cattle. Findings like those from this pilot study highlight that this assumption may need to be urgently revisited.

Looking Ahead

This pilot study demonstrates a clear need for:

• Systematic on‑farm dental assessment

• Better tools and techniques tailored to cattle

• Greater veterinary awareness and training

• Larger studies quantifying the true prevalence and impact of dental disease

As awareness grows, bovine dentistry has the potential to become as integral to herd health as mobility scoring, fertility monitoring, or nutrition planning.

This blog series will continue to explore what’s been hidden in plain sight — and why giving teeth the attention they deserve may unlock meaningful improvements in health, welfare, and productivity.

If you're curious about the journey, stay tuned.