Equine Dentistry

Question 1

why do equines need routine dental care?

Answer 1

current management practices can contribute to decreased or uneven wear of teeth
jaw conformations can lead to uneven wear
untreated dental problems lead to soft tissue damage, trouble eating, infections

Question 2

what are wolf teeth?

Answer 2

first premolar
small rudimentary

Question 3

what are cheek teeth?

Answer 3

premolars 2-4 and molar 1-3

Question 4

which teeth usually require the most dental attention?

Answer 4

cheek teeth

Question 5

what are the ways to estimate age by teeth?

Answer 5

eruption schedule
angle of incidence
occlusal surface
shape of surface of incisors
galvayne’s groove

Question 6

what teeth do horses get in their first week?

Answer 6

first incisor
three premolars

Question 7

are there deciduous molars?

Answer 7

no

Question 8

when do molars come in?

Answer 8

1st at one year
2nd at two years
3rd by four years

Question 9

what happens to the occlusal surface as a result of wear?

Answer 9

cup/infundibulum gets smaller and then disappears
dental star/pulp cavity appears at 8, goes from line to circle

Question 10

when does galvayne’s groove start?

Answer 10

10 years

Question 11

at what rate do horse hypsodont teeth erupt?

Answer 11

3-4 mm per year

Question 12

what does it mean that horses have an anisognathic jaw conformation?

Answer 12

maxilla is wider than mandible

Question 13

where do sharp enamel points form?

Answer 13

buccal of upper teeth
lingual of lower teeth

Question 14

where do rostral/caudal hooks form?

Answer 14

front of second premolar
back of the third molar

Question 15

what does a step mouth usually result from?

Answer 15

a lost tooth

Question 16

what is a diastema?

Answer 16

space between teeth

Question 17

why are diastemas a problem?

Answer 17

food impacts between teeth
damage gingiva and promote bacterial growth
periodontal disease
can cause fistula and sinus infection

Question 18

what is equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis?

Answer 18

resorption and hypercemantosis

Question 19

what is unique about EOTRH?

Answer 19

hypercementosis

Question 20

which horses get EOTRH?

Answer 20

more than 15 years old

Question 21

what is seen on radiographs with EOTRH?

Answer 21

resorption of reserve crown and root
loss of periodontal ligament space
disruption of alveolar and regional cancellous bone
osteomyelitis
tooth fracture

Question 22

what are the major concerns of miniature horses?

Answer 22

overcrowded teeth
impactions
maleruptions
congenital defects

Question 23

what do you need to do a dental exam?

Answer 23

sedation
speculum
flush mouth
light source
documentation

Question 24

what is a routine float?

Answer 24

process of rasping or filing a horse’s teeth

Question 25

should the occlusal surface be made smooth during a float?

Answer 25

no

Question 26

what happens with root breaks due to wolf tooth extraction?

Answer 26

erupt on own or fuse to alveolus

Question 27

what is excessive bleeding due to wolf tooth extraction complication due to?

Answer 27

punctured palatine artery

Question 28

what imaging is available for dentistry?

Answer 28

radiographs
oroscopy
computed tomography
magnetic resonance imaging
nuclear scintigraphy

Question 29

what are signs of dental disease on radiographs?

Answer 29

bone lysis
bone production
displacement of normal structures
abnormal air pockets
fluid lines in sinus

Question 30

what is the wolf tooth?

Answer 30

remnant of first premolar

Question 31

what are the cheek teeth used for?

Answer 31

grinding
self sharpening

Question 32

which teeth usually require the most dentistry attention?

Answer 32

cheek teeth

Question 33

how many teeth do horses have?

Answer 33

minimum 36 (no canines or wolf teeth)
maximum 44

Question 34

what deciduous teeth erupt by 8 months of age?

Answer 34

first week: first incisor and three premolars
two months: second incisor
eight months: third incisor

Question 35

when are all permanent teeth erupted?

Answer 35

5 years

Question 36

when do horses begin to have permanent incisors?

Answer 36

2.5 years
inside to outside

Question 37

when do wolf teeth erupt?

Answer 37

6 months- 1 year

Question 38

when do the permanent premolars erupt?

Answer 38

second: 2.5 years
third: 3 years
fourth: 4 years

Question 39

what happens with the dental star with age?

Answer 39

pulp cavity
appears at age 8
goes from line to circle with age

Question 40

when does galvagne’s groove start to disappear?

Answer 40

between 20 and 25
gone by 30

Question 41

what is a wave mouth?

Answer 41

adjacent teeth with unequal heights
results from incomplete occlusal contact when horse grinds its food

Question 42

what can be done for mild cases of EOTRH?

Answer 42

biannual monitoring and radiographs
staged extraction

Question 43

why is aging miniature horses by their teeth unreliable?

Answer 43

maleruptions

Question 44

what is a routine float?

Answer 44

process of rasping or filing a horse’s teeth

Question 45

why should you not use #6 as a fulcrum when elevating the mucosa of the wolf teeth in an extraction?

Answer 45

more likely to break off root if do

Question 46

which horses should you refer to someone in the american veterinary dental college?

Answer 46

difficult extractions
diastema widening
tooth restoration

Question 47

what should you do to a diastema?

Answer 47

widen it: improves periodontal disease