b'YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2017 AAEP CONVENTION SPONSORED BYthese focused on equine teeth, Dixon said. Current Equine Dentistry Underbite More common in ponies, The first veterinary colleges opened inDixon reviewed todays equine dentalMiniature Horses, and donkeys, this is France and Britain in the 18th century.practices, starting with the standardalso a craniofacial bone structure abnor-The first U.S. school was established inveterinary dental exam. This should takemality with secondary dental problems;1875. By the late 19th century Germanplace annuallymore often for young/oldRetained deciduous teeth If baby and American surgeons had developedhorses or ones with dental issues. Theyreteeth arent lost, they can cause perma-innovative equine dental tools, Dixon said,usually done under sedation and involve: nent incisor displacement and long-term while some British vets and colleges saw Palpating the cheeks to find any foodwear changes to the opposing incisors;little need for advancement in the field.pockets or cheek teeth irregularities; Incisor fractures These usually result In the early 1900s Germans led scientificVisually inspecting incisors, canines;from trauma, such as kicks;research in equine dental care. Post-WorldAssessing incisor and cheek teethAbnormal incisor wear Tooth irregu-War II, as the world economy and pros- movement over each other (occlusion)larities can compromise jaw movement, perity grew, so did interest in the recre- by manually moving the mandiblewhich leads to this issue, as can wood ational use of horses. With horse owner- (lower jaw) side to side; chewing, cribbing, and rubbing teeth on ship growing, equine veterinary medicine Opening the mouth with a speculumfixed objects;advancement grew, as well, partiallyand inspecting the upper incisors oc- Diagonal mouth (slant or slope mouth) spurred by the formation of the AAEPclusal surfaces with a dental mirror orA slight degree of slope is common. Vets and British Equine Veterinary Associationendoscope; now believe most slant mouths are sec-(BEVA) in the 1950s and 60s.ondary to developmental bone structure During this time and through theabnormalities, such as wry nose; 1980s, owner interest in equine den- Dental disorders andPeriodontal or diastema (gap between tistry grew, but vet students still receivedpain combine to cre- teeth) disease Impacted food can cause limited dental training. This left a void ofgum and deeper periodontal inflamma-veterinary equine dental expertise and al- ate significant equinetion. Cheek tooth diastema is the most lowed room in the market for lay equinewelfare issues. common and painful equine dental dentists without veterinary training.DR. PADRAIC DIXON disease, Dixon said;Dixon said some of these lay dentistsEquine odontoclastic tooth resorp-didand still dooffer detrimentaltion and hypercementosis (EOTRH) This services, such as performance floats,Inspecting the cheek teeth with a head- painful disease of the incisors and/or bit seating, and incisor tooth reductions.lamp, dental mirrors, and/or oral endo- canine teeth in older horses results in the He described this work as aggressive andscope, and palpating each tooth; Dixonbreakdown of calcified dental tissue and often exposing sensitive tissues, caus- recommends vets check their gloveoverproduction of cementum. Theres no ing dental pain and damage. Some vetsafter for malodor, which might indicateway to treat it other than tooth extraction;adopted these unproven procedures, asinfection or periodontal disease; and Fibro-osseous mandibular tumors These well, he added.Recording findings on a chart and pro- growths can develop in young horses and In the 1990s BEVA and AAEP saw theviding that information to the owner.require removing part of the jaw; anddeficit in dental education and researchBecause much of the tooth lies belowMaxillary (upper jaw) cheek teeth row for equine vets. Through promotionalthe gum line, vets must use X rays to eval- rostral malpositioning Occurs with par-programs and training, they have helpeduate root and reserve crown disorders. rot mouth.introduce evidence-based dental workHorses can also experience canine is-into veterinary practice. Further, the Eu- Equine Dental and Oral Disorders sues, including delayed eruption, EORTH, ropean Veterinary Dental College and theDental disorders and pain combine toand excess calcification (which can cause American Veterinary Dental College havecreate significant equine welfare issues,gingival disease). For horses with excess developed equine dentistry subspecialties.Dixon said, citing cases of difficult orcalcification, Dixon recommended own-hard-mouthed horses found to have se- ers brush the canines multiple times per vere dental problems. A careful exam canweek following tartar removal. help identify and treat problems early. Horses evolved over millions of years Dental disorders he covered included: in response to climate and food changes. Overjet (upper incisors protruding clos- The wear from near-constant grazing er to the front of the nose than the lowerof grasses led to tougher, continuously Equine Surg Referral incisors) and overbite (parrot mouth,erupting teeth. Veterinary understanding @Equinesurgrefsupper incisors protruding forward and inof equine teeth continues to evolve, as As Jack Easley justfront of the lower incisors) Often usedwell, and dental care should be per-said, (Dixon) is mostinterchangeably, these two inherited dis- formed by a licensed vet, said Dixon, responsible for bringingorders result from abnormal craniofacialbased on scientifically proven protocols dentistry out of the darkbone structure, and dental abnormalitiesand an in-depth understanding of dental ages and into the light. are secondary; anatomy and pathology. hA10 TheHorse.com/AAEP2017 AAEP Wrap-Up THE HORSEMarch 2018'