Evaluation of the main disorders and microbiota of the oral cavity of capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) under human care.

Background: Although critical to the overall condition of animals under human care, there is still limited information about oral health in neotropical primates.
Methods: We analyzed the main oral conditions and microbiota using mass spectrometry from 13 capuchin monkeys (Sapajus apella) under human care. The findings were registered on odontograms following the Triadan system.
Results: The most prevalent conditions were dental fractures (n = 9), mainly enamel fractures, and periodontal disease (n = 8), mainly grade 1 calculi. When exanimating teeth, alterations were identified in 90 out of the 416 evaluated pieces, being periodontal disease the most common (n = 60), followed by enamel fracture (n = 15) and missing teeth (n = 10). In the oral microbiota analyses, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species were the most prevalent, although no obvious association was observed between isolated organisms and oral conditions.
Conclusions: These findings hold the potential to prevent oral disorders, including fractures and periodontal diseases, contribute to molecular identification of oral microbiota, and to improve the well-being of primates under human care.
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