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Horse teeth often wear in specific patterns, based on the way the horse eats its food, and these patterns are often used to conjecture on the age of the horse after it has developed a full mouth. As with aging through observing tooth eruption, this can be imprecise, and may be affected by diet, natural abnormalities, and vices such as cribbing .
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. [2]
The bite stimulates nociceptors mediated by the trigeminal nerve in the lips, tongue, teeth and bones. [15] The gum is the periosteum, the most sensitive part of the bone. [15] The horse's oral mucosa consists of stratified squamous epithelium (mucosal epithelium) and underlying connective tissue, called the lamina propria. [16]
Therefore, horses with dental problems (e.g. acquired or congenital malocclusion, loose or missing teeth, or excessively sharp dental ridges) that do not allow them to completely grind their food are particularly at risk. [2] [3] In addition, horses that bolt their feed and do not take the time to chew properly are more likely to suffer from choke.
An unusual mandibular wolf tooth, from a Somali wild ass. Wolf teeth are small, peg-like horse teeth, which sit just in front of (or rostral to) the first cheek teeth of horses and other equids. They are vestigial first premolars, [1] and the first cheek tooth is referred to as the second premolar even when wolf teeth are not present.
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A horse wearing an English bridle with a snaffle bit, the end of which can be seen just sticking out of the mouth. The bit is not the metal ring. Horse skull showing the large gap between the front teeth and the back teeth. The bit sits in this gap, and extends beyond from side to side. The bit is an item of a horse's tack.
A horse's teeth grow continuously throughout its life and can develop uneven wear patterns. Most common are sharp edges on the sides of the molars which may cause problems when eating or being ridden. For this reason a horse or pony needs to have its teeth checked by a veterinarian or qualified equine dentist at least once a year.