Equine Dentistry Flashcards
why do equines need routine dental care?
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
what are wolf teeth?
first premolar
small rudimentary
what are cheek teeth?
premolars 2-4 and molar 1-3
which teeth usually require the most dental attention?
cheek teeth
what are the ways to estimate age by teeth?
eruption schedule
angle of incidence
occlusal surface
shape of surface of incisors
galvayne’s groove
what teeth do horses get in their first week?
first incisor
three premolars
are there deciduous molars?
no
when do molars come in?
1st at one year
2nd at two years
3rd by four years
what happens to the occlusal surface as a result of wear?
cup/infundibulum gets smaller and then disappears
dental star/pulp cavity appears at 8, goes from line to circle
when does galvayne’s groove start?
10 years
at what rate do horse hypsodont teeth erupt?
3-4 mm per year
what does it mean that horses have an anisognathic jaw conformation?
maxilla is wider than mandible
where do sharp enamel points form?
buccal of upper teeth
lingual of lower teeth
where do rostral/caudal hooks form?
front of second premolar
back of the third molar
what does a step mouth usually result from?
a lost tooth
what is a diastema?
space between teeth
why are diastemas a problem?
food impacts between teeth
damage gingiva and promote bacterial growth
periodontal disease
can cause fistula and sinus infection
what is equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis?
resorption and hypercemantosis
what is unique about EOTRH?
hypercementosis
which horses get EOTRH?
more than 15 years old
what is seen on radiographs with EOTRH?
resorption of reserve crown and root
loss of periodontal ligament space
disruption of alveolar and regional cancellous bone
osteomyelitis
tooth fracture
what are the major concerns of miniature horses?
overcrowded teeth
impactions
maleruptions
congenital defects
what do you need to do a dental exam?
sedation
speculum
flush mouth
light source
documentation
what is a routine float?
process of rasping or filing a horse’s teeth
should the occlusal surface be made smooth during a float?
no
what happens with root breaks due to wolf tooth extraction?
erupt on own or fuse to alveolus
what is excessive bleeding due to wolf tooth extraction complication due to?
punctured palatine artery
what imaging is available for dentistry?
radiographs
oroscopy
computed tomography
magnetic resonance imaging
nuclear scintigraphy
what are signs of dental disease on radiographs?
bone lysis
bone production
displacement of normal structures
abnormal air pockets
fluid lines in sinus
what is the wolf tooth?
remnant of first premolar
what are the cheek teeth used for?
grinding
self sharpening
which teeth usually require the most dentistry attention?
cheek teeth
how many teeth do horses have?
minimum 36 (no canines or wolf teeth)
maximum 44
what deciduous teeth erupt by 8 months of age?
first week: first incisor and three premolars
two months: second incisor
eight months: third incisor
when are all permanent teeth erupted?
5 years
when do horses begin to have permanent incisors?
2.5 years
inside to outside
when do wolf teeth erupt?
6 months- 1 year
when do the permanent premolars erupt?
second: 2.5 years
third: 3 years
fourth: 4 years
what happens with the dental star with age?
pulp cavity
appears at age 8
goes from line to circle with age
when does galvagne’s groove start to disappear?
between 20 and 25
gone by 30
what is a wave mouth?
adjacent teeth with unequal heights
results from incomplete occlusal contact when horse grinds its food
what can be done for mild cases of EOTRH?
biannual monitoring and radiographs
staged extraction
why is aging miniature horses by their teeth unreliable?
maleruptions
what is a routine float?
process of rasping or filing a horse’s teeth
why should you not use #6 as a fulcrum when elevating the mucosa of the wolf teeth in an extraction?
more likely to break off root if do
which horses should you refer to someone in the american veterinary dental college?
difficult extractions
diastema widening
tooth restoration
what should you do to a diastema?
widen it: improves periodontal disease
