Several dental oddities in ruminants such as three-sided incisors and the presence of accessory cusps have been observed by a team of veterinary experts, headed by Dr. Rio John Ducusin of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños.  However, these are not clinically significant compared to other findings that pose economic loss such as sharp molar surfaces, dental plaque and dental fracture that could lead to oral infection or diseases.    

Veterinary dentistry on domestic ruminants used to be a neglected field as Dr. Ducusin pointed out during the Agriculture and Development Seminar Series held at the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).  He recommends further research to define precisely the contribution of each periodontal pathogen to periodontal disease progression, to devise tests that detect their presence, and to determine the best therapy for each pathogen’s suppression.

In the Philippines, the carabao figures largely in rural areas where it is raised as draft animal and source of meat and dairy.  It is hailed as the Philippine national animal for its marked diligence.

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Report based on the ADSS presentation of Dr. Rio John T. Ducusin entitled, Dental Problems of Water Buffaloes, Feedlot Cattle, and Goats and their Significance in Veterinary Medicine held on 4 August 2009.