7.

0
Affection of the teeth
and their treatment

Dental formula
Of different species
Horses:
2(I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3-4/3,M 3/3)
Cattle/sheep/goat:
2(I 0/4, C 0/0,P 3/3,M 3/3)
Dog:
2( I 3/3, C 1/1, P 4/4, M 2/3)
Cat:
2( I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3/2, M 1/1)
Pig:
2( I 3/3, C 1/1, P 3-4/3-4, M 3/3)

Congenital affections
Oligodontia:
Reduced number of teeth

Retained deciduous teeth:

Congenital affections of teeth can
results following causes due
to developmental disturbances.

a)Gemination:
Division of single tooth bud

CONT.,
b)Fusion :
Joining of two tooth buds to form a single
structure

c)Concrescence

Abnormal number
Anodontia:
complete congenital absence of teeth

Polydontia:
supernumerary teeth

Oligodontia:
congenital absence of one or more teeth.

Abnormal eruption and

exfoliation
Retained deciduous teeth :
Seen in toy breeds
Delayed exfoliation (falling) of
and canines

deciduous incisors

Embedded or impacted teeth:

Individual unerupted tooth because of lack of
eruptive force
May lead to dentigerous cyst.

Abnormal structure:
Enamel hypoplacia :
Incomplete or defective formation of organic
enamel matrix of teeth.

Causes:
Infectious or non infectious.

Symptoms:
Irregular enamel ,irregular pits.

Odontogenesis imperfecta:
(odontodysplacia)
Is a condition where shape of the tooth is
markedly altered and irregular

Tetracycline staining:
Tetracycline administered during tooth
development becomes incorporated in enamel
and dentin and cause permanent brown yellow
orange discoloration.

Cont.,
Tetracycline's shouldnt be administered below
5 months of age.
In pregnant animals.

Attrition:
wearing away of dental substance due to occlusal
contact and mastication.
Its a normal and physiological condition, associated with
ageing; due to malocclusion

Sharp teeth (molars)

common condition seen in cattle, buffalo,
camels and horses.
Sharpness is seen in outer border of upper
molars and inner border of lower molars.

This is due to improper wearing of teeth

Sharp border may cause injury to cheek and tongue

Cont.,
Symptoms:

Pain
Improper grinding of food.
Quidding of partially chewed fodder.
Foaming of saliva at commissure.
Food accumulation between cheek and molars
Wounds and ulcers in buccal mucosa

Treatment:

Using mouth gag ,rasping is performed by Dental

float
Use of tooth cutter, application of emollients-glycerin

Shears mouth (overlapping molars)

The outer border of the tables of upper cheek teeth and
inner border of lower cheek teeth becomes very
prominent like blades of shears.

Treatment:
Periodic Rasping.

Smooth mouth
Caused by excessive wearing of teeth.
Interferes with mastication and animal looses
general condition.

Treatment: soft diet

Step formed mouth

Abrupt variations in the height of adjacent
teeth due to defective growth or extraction
of a tooth or consequent overgrowth of
opposite teeth.
Condition compromises chewing.
Treatment: Cutting and rasping

Wave formed mouth

Abnormal wearing of teeth; where cheek teeth
form an uneven or undulating arcade

Treatment: cutting and rasping

Prognosis: guarded

Dental tartar (Dental calculus)

It is a mixture of calcium phosphate and
carbonate with other organic materials.

Cont.,
o

It is grayish brown or grayish yellow deposit seen

accumulated on the teeth.

It composes of bacteria and organic matter .

Common in dogs and cats, but rare in herbivores.

Dental tartar predisposes teeth to caries, alveolar

perisotitis and then gingivitis.

CONT.,
Symptoms:
Deposit on tooth and halitosis
Treatment: Dental scaling

Dental caries
Progressive disintegration of the enamel and
dentine seen between 3 to 7 years of age.

Caries is a microbial disease of calcified tissues

of the tooth

CONT.,
Characterized by:

Demineralization of the inorganic portion

Destruction of the organic substance of the tooth

Symptoms:

Difficulty in eating and chewing food,

Halitosis.
presence of tartar and grunting

Treatment: Dental extraction

Odontoma
It is a tumor in which both the epithelial and
mesenchymal cells are well differentiated
resulting in formation of all types of dental
tissue.
Sporadically observed in cattle, buffalo, sheep,
dog and cat

Cont.,

Tumuor may seen in maxilla / mandible and commonly

lower jaw.
In advanced cases loose incisors are often embedded
tumor mass.

Treatment:
Curetting and chiseling the mass under Local
Analgesia/General Anesthesia

Adamantinoma (Ameloblastoma)
Tumour doesnt arise from ameloblasts, but from
odontogenic epithelial remnants.

Seen in cattle, buffalo, sheep, dog and cat.

Rostral maxilla is the common site.

Difficulty in mastication.

If mandibular symphysis is involved prognosis is grave.

Radiography reveals lytic changes of the bone.

CONT.,
Treatment: Excision

Dentigenous cyst
Special form of dental teratoma

characterized by :

Presence of dental tissue at the base of draining tract.

Lesions appear as a fluctuating swelling often associated
with a fistula.

Treatment: Excision

Periodontal disease
It is an oral infection resulting from the chronic
retention of bacteria at the junction of tooth and
gingiva leading to gingivitis and peridontitis may
develop around the teeth.

Peridontitis
Loss of supporting alveolar bone and destruction
of fibrous connective tissue at neck
It is a slow progressive asymptomatic infection
that causes destruction of tooth supporting
tissue rather than the tooth itself.

Symptoms:

Gingivitis.
Difficulty in chewing etc.

CONT.,
Treatment:
Preventive therapy:

Oral hygiene like brushing,

Antiseptic mouth rinse etc

Surgery:

Root debridement
Gingivectomy
Gingivoplasty
Periodontal prosthesis

Bishoping

It is a malpractice in horse trade.

where infundibular marks are artificially made in

an aged horse so as to make it look younger.

Marks are made with silver nitrate.

This can be easily

detected by noting
the shape of the table
surface of the tooth.
In young animal
-oval sideways
In aged animals
- triangular
In very old animal
- oval anterior-posterior
or circular in shape.