equine malocclusion
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An equine malocclusion is a misalignment between the upper and lower
jaw The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serv ...
s of a
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
or other
equine Equinae is a subfamily of the family Equidae, which have lived worldwide (except Indonesia and Australia) from the Hemingfordian stage of the Early Miocene (16 million years ago) onwards. They are thought to be a monophyletic grouping.B. J. MacFa ...
. It results in a faulty bite with the upper and lower
teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...
failing to meet correctly. Malocclusions can cause pain to the horse and may also lead to weight loss and other eating problems related to poor chewing or loss of appetite. In addition, discomfort can lead to poor behavior when the animal is ridden or driven, particularly if a
bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...
is used in the horse's mouth.


Equine dental malocclusions in the molars


Caudal hooks

Caudal hooks are defined as when the dominant lower or upper last molar overhang the opposing molar. They can be hereditary and may result because a
horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
is born either parrot-mouthed or monkey-mouthed. They can also be caused secondary to another molar
malocclusion In orthodontics, a malocclusion is a misalignment or incorrect relation between the teeth of the upper and lower dental arches when they approach each other as the jaws close. The English-language term dates from 1864; Edward Angle (1855-1930), ...
that forces the jaw to disalign. This malocclusion results in problems for the horse when eating. It prevents the horse from chewing side to side freely which causes incorrect and excessive tooth wear. The soft tissues of the mouth can be damaged because the hooks are sharp and can cut them. Caudal hooks will also cause discomfort to the horse during riding. To fix caudal hooks, the dominant molar must be reduced, preventing extreme wear to the opposing molar, and rounded so that the
soft tissue Soft tissue is all the tissue in the body that is not hardened by the processes of ossification or calcification such as bones and teeth. Soft tissue connects, surrounds or supports internal organs and bones, and includes muscle, tendons, ligam ...
is not traumatized.


Rostral hooks

Rostral hooks occur when the dominant upper front
premolar The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...
s overhang the lower premolars. They can be hereditary or developmental meaning that the horse can have an
overbite Overbite is the extent of vertical ( superior-inferior) overlap of the maxillary central incisors over the mandibular central incisors, measured relative to the incisal ridges. The term overbite does not refer to a specific condition, nor is ...
at birth or can have another malocclusion that forces the disalignment of the jaw. Rostral hooks can result in improper and extreme molar wear especially to the opposing lower premolar. Other problems include
bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...
problems and soft tissue damage. Fixing Rostral hooks requires that you reduce the dominant portion of the upper premolar and round the unopposed portion smoothly towards the gum.
Preventive maintenance The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure, and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installa ...
is required to prevent recurring Rostral hooks.


Ramps

When there is excessive height to the lower premolars, the horse has a condition known as ramps. They occur when the upper from the premolar deciduous cap or baby tooth is kept resulting in the abnormal growth of the permanent premolar. The problem with ramps is that they prevent the horse from freely chewing side-to-side. This causes improper and over wear of the molars. It will also, along with an underbite, cause severe discomfort when a bit is placed in the horses mouth. To solve the problem, the dominant tooth must be reduced to allow the opposing one to recover.


Enamel points

Enamel points are sharp points that develop on the inside of the lower molars and outside of the upper molars. They occur over time as the horse stops chewing as far sideways. This makes the unopposed edge tooth get longer. When the edge tooth gets longer it forms razor sharp points. They cause pain to the horse because they irritate the soft tissue of the gums when the horse eats and when certain equipment is used in the mouth resulting in the tongue and cheeks being pulled into these points. To resolve this problem the points must be filed off.


Sheared molar table

A sheared molar table is the extreme angulation of the chewing surface of the molars. It is caused by a lack of side-to-side chewing. It is a very severe problem because the horse cannot chew sideways. This results in the horse not being able to break down its food properly leading to malnutrition. This malocclusion can be resolved by correcting the angle of the molar table.


Wave complexes

Wave complexes occur when the molar arcade develops an uneven surface with a wave-like appearance. It usually occurs in the pre-molars and molars. It generally occurs secondarily to other malocclusions. It results in prematurely worn out teeth, periodontal pocketing, decay, and tooth loss. It also prevents the horse from properly grinding its food as it makes side-to-side chewing difficult. A resolution for this problem is the reduction of the high complexes. This allows and encourages the horse to chew side-to-side.


Stepped molars

These occur when the molar arcade develops a stepped appearance. Its main cause is a missing tooth which allows the opposing teeth to grow into the gap, but it can occur because of uneven wear or if the deciduous cap or baby tooth is retained too long preventing normal tooth growth. It can prevent the horse from freely chewing and cause the improper wear of the molars and incisors. A solution is to reduce the high molar allowing proper chewing. Preventative maintenance must be used to stop this from happening again in the event that it was caused by a lost tooth.


Accentuated transverse ridges

These are enlarged ridges that run across the chewing surfaces of the molars. They can result from the disalignment of the jaw or the horse is not chewing in a proper sideways motion. They are caused when a hard spot on one tooth digs into and wears out a soft spot on another tooth. They interfere with normal chewing and cause excessive wear to the opposing molars. They can also result in periodontal disease and diastema. To resolve these you must reduce the enlarged ridges to let the opposing teeth recover and allow the horse to chew correctly.


Periodontal pockets

Periodontal pockets occur when gum disease makes pockets around the teeth. Food gets caught in these pockets and causes even more decay. The disease progresses as the horse is unable to chew properly. It can lead to infection, abscesses in the mouth, and tooth loss. It should be corrected as early as possible, and it is very difficult to stop. If the disease is caught early it can be prevented.


Diastema

Diastema is defined as a space between two adjoining teeth. Food can be trapped between teeth leading to severe periodontal disease and poor dental health overall. It is very difficult to correct. The unopposed overgrowth of the opposing teeth must be reduced.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Equine Malocclusion Horse health