Ectopic eruption of a permanent mandibular tooth in a miniature horse: case report.

Overview

• This case report describes an unusual dental abnormality in a 2-year-old female miniature horse, where a permanent lower jaw tooth erupted horizontally and remained unerupted while its baby tooth was retained.
• The impacted tooth was surgically removed, but postoperative complications required additional treatment, leading to full recovery without further issues.

Introduction to the Case

• Developmental and eruption abnormalities in teeth are common and can cause ongoing dental problems in horses.
• Ectopic eruption refers to a tooth erupting in an abnormal position, which can occur due to developmental disturbances.
• This report focuses on a miniature horse with a permanent mandibular (lower jaw) tooth growing horizontally rather than vertically.
• The permanent tooth failed to erupt properly and remained embedded while the corresponding deciduous (baby) tooth was still present.

Clinical Presentation

• The patient was a 2-year-old female miniature horse.
• The main clinical sign was a hard swelling on the left mandibular ramus noticed for about 3 months and progressively increasing in size.
• The swelling corresponded to unerupted tooth 307 (permanent mandibular second premolar), positioned horizontally between tooth 306 and tooth 707 (permanent maxillary second molar).

Diagnosis and Evaluation

• Detailed clinical and radiographic examinations confirmed the ectopic horizontal position of tooth 307.
• Tooth 307 was immature and had not erupted, causing retention of the baby tooth in that area.
• The retained deciduous tooth served as a mechanical barrier preventing food from entering the area of the extraction site after surgery.

Surgical Treatment

• The impacted tooth 307 was removed surgically to prevent further complications.
• The extraction techniques used included lateral alveolotomy (cutting into the bone around the tooth), syndesmotomy (cutting the ligament connecting tooth to bone), and retrograde repulsion (pushing the tooth out through the socket from the opposite side).

Postoperative Complications and Management

• Following surgery, an alveolar infection developed, affecting the adjacent tooth 707.
• This infection led to apical contamination (infection at the root tip) of tooth 707.
• As a result, tooth 707 also had to be extracted to resolve the clinical problem.

Outcomes and Follow-up

• At 60 days after surgery, there was evidence of good healing in the alveolar bone (the tooth socket area).
• The intraoral fistula (an abnormal opening inside the mouth) became smaller, and the external fistula (opening on the skin or jaw surface) completely closed.
• The miniature horse was clinically well and discharged without any further signs of dental or systemic disease.
• This indicates successful management of an unusual ectopic tooth eruption and associated complications in a horse.