Occlusal angles of cheek teeth in normal horses and horses with dental disease.
Abstract: The angle between the occlusal surface of the tooth and the horizontal plane of 687 cheek teeth from the skulls of 22 horses without gross dental disorders and 11 horses with dental disorders were measured by using stiff malleable wire as an imprint. Each measurement was repeated five times and the mean angle was recorded. In the normal skulls, the mean occlusal angles of the mandibular cheek teeth ranged from 19.2 degrees at the Triadan 06 position to 30 degrees at the 11 position, and these angles were significantly greater than the occlusal angles of the opposing maxillary cheek teeth (range 12.5 degrees to 18 degrees) at all the positions except the 06. The rostral mandibular cheek teeth had significantly lower occlusal angles than the caudal mandibular cheek teeth, but the converse was true for the maxillary teeth. In the skulls with dental disorders the occlusal angles of the mandibular cheek teeth ranged from 15.6 degrees to 28.5 degrees , and of the maxillary cheek teeth from 9.2 degrees to 16.4 degrees. They were not significantly different from the angles of the teeth from the normal skulls, except at the 06 position, where they were smaller.
Publication Date: 2008-06-24 PubMed ID: 18567927DOI: 10.1136/vr.162.25.807Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research measured and compared the angles of cheek teeth in healthy horses as well as those with dental disorders, specifically focusing on differences between the mandibular (lower jaw) and maxillary (upper jaw) teeth.
Method of Study
- The study involved taking measurements of 687 cheek teeth from the skulls of 33 horses divided into two groups – 22 horses without apparent dental disorders and 11 horses with dental disorders.
- The measurement was focused on the angle between the biting surface of the tooth (occlusal surface) and the horizontal plane.
- A stiff, yet malleable wire was used to imprint the angle of each tooth and this imprinting method was repeated five times for better accuracy.
- From these five impressions, the average angle of each tooth was calculated and recorded.
Findings in Normal Horses
- The study found that normal horsed had mean occlusal angles ranging from 19.2 to 30 degrees for the lower jaw (mandibular) cheek teeth.
- It was discovered that the cheek teeth located further forward (rostral) in the mouth had significantly lower occlusal angles as opposed to those at the rear (caudal) in the lower jaw. This situation was reversed for the upper jaw (maxillary) teeth.
- The upper jaw (maxillary) teeth had smaller occlusal angles ranging from 12.5 to 18 degrees.
- These findings suggest that the occlusal angles of the lower jaw teeth are generally greater than the occlusal angles of the upper jaw teeth, except at the 06 tooth position where the angles were similar.
Findings in Horses with Dental Disorders
- In horses with dental disorders, the angle range of the mandibular teeth was found to be between 15.6 to 28.5 degrees, while the maxillary teeth ranged from 9.2 to 16.4 degrees.
- Overall, the occlusal angles of horses with dental irregularities closely mirrored those of normal horses, with the exception of tooth position 06 where the angles were smaller.
- This suggests that dental disorders do not drastically affect the overall occlusal angles in horses, except at certain tooth positions.
Cite This Article
APA
Brown SL, Arkins S, Shaw DJ, Dixon PM.
(2008).
Occlusal angles of cheek teeth in normal horses and horses with dental disease.
Vet Rec, 162(25), 807-810.
https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.162.25.807 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Division of Veterinary Clinical Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Centre, Midlothian EH25 9RG.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Case-Control Studies
- Dental Occlusion
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Malocclusion / classification
- Malocclusion / epidemiology
- Malocclusion / pathology
- Malocclusion / veterinary
- Mastication / physiology
- Tooth / anatomy & histology
- Tooth / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Kau S, Motter KS, Moser VJ, Kunz JR, Pellachin M, Hartl B. Intra- and Interexaminer Measurement Variability Analysis of an Orthodontic Gauge Device to Determine Incisor Occlusal Surface Angles in the Horse. Vet Sci 2022 Sep 7;9(9).
- Sterkenburgh T, Schulz-Kornas E, Nowak M, Staszyk C. A Computerized Simulation of the Occlusal Surface in Equine Cheek Teeth: A Simplified Model. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:789133.
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