Equine dentistry

Question 1

How many roots do mandibular vs maxillary teeth in equines have

Answer 1

Mandibular 2 roots
Maxillary 3 or 4 roots

Question 2

Which teeth do we see infundibular enamel folds on and what does this mean

Answer 2

On maxillary cheek teeth
This means only these teeth can get infundibular caries

Question 3

How are dentine/cementum/enamel arranged

Answer 3

Interlinked in a laminated structure; this increases tooth strength and causes teeth to wear unevenly and give mores surface area for chewing

Question 4

How many infundibula do incisors vs maxillary teeth have

Answer 4

INcisors have 1
MAxillary cheek teeth ahve 2

Question 5

Which cheek tooth apices are in which part of maxillary sinus

Answer 5

8 and 9 are in rostral maxillary sinus
10 and 11 ar in caudal maxilary sinus

Question 6

How much tooth eruption to expect per year with normal wear vs no wear

Answer 6

Normal = 2-4mm/year
Can be up to 9mm/yr if not being worn down by another tooth

Question 7

What is the exception to the rule that all treatments involveing the mouth are acts of veterinary surgery

Answer 7

• Manual removal of small dental overgrowths (<4mm) and sharp enamel points with a hand instrument

Question 8

What are categories 1/2/3 acts of veterinary surgery

Answer 8

Cat 1 = not an act of veterinary surgery
Cat 2 = an act of veterinary surgery which can be delaged if under direct and continuous supervision
Cat 3 = act of veterinary surgery which cannot be delegated to a non-vet; involves vascular and innervated tissue

Question 9

What dental procedures would fit into category 3 of veterinary surgery

Answer 9

Removing firmly attached cheek teeth

Question 10

What could be a category 2 act of vet surgery in relation to dentistry

Answer 10

Removing wolf teeth
REmoving loose teeth with negligible periodontal attachment
Palliative rasping
Evaluating and recording abnormalities
Motorised rasping

Question 11

Can vets prescribe sedation for detnals by EDTs

Answer 11

Can give acepromazine or detomidine but horse must be under care (consider to have been seen in last 6 months)

Question 12

What number is the furthest back tooth in the mouth

Answer 12

11

Question 13

Max number if teeth in a horse mouth

Answer 13

44

Question 14

When are canines often absent in horses

Answer 14

In mares

Question 15

What are eruption cysts

Answer 15

Non painful hard swellings in regions of jaw due to apical aspect of tooth lying close to the bone margin
- Called 3/4 year bumps
Sometimes in mandible, the cysts can develop into periapical infection

Question 16

What age do canine teeth erupt at

Answer 16

4-6 years old

Question 17

What are wolf teeth

Answer 17

Vestigial premolar with no deciduous precursor
Erupts 6-18 months old

Question 18

Grading periodontal disease 1-4

Answer 18

1 = local gingivitis
2 = erosion of gingival margin
3 = periodontitis with gum retraction
4 = gross periodontal pocketing and alveolar bone destruction

Question 19

How many pulp chambers do cheek teeth have

Answer 19

Between 5 and 9

Question 20

Which teeth is it most likely to get a traumatic fracture of

Answer 20

Incisors
Sheek teeth usually secondary to pulpar disease or caries

Question 21

What is equine odontoclastic tooth resoprtion and hypercementosis

Answer 21

Common condition in older horses
See degenerative lesions in incisors/canines
Odonotvlasts absorb tooth and body lays down cementum in response
= painful

Question 22

Grading caries

Answer 22

0 = no caries
1 = caries just affecting cementum
2= caries affecting cementum and adjacent enamel
3 = caries affecting cementum, enamel and dentine
4 = caries affects tooth integrity i.e via secondary fracture ot abscess formation