Managing teeth overgrowths

Dental overgrowths are commonly encountered in equine practice for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most commonly observed overgrowth is attributable to the anisognathic conformation of the horse’s head whereby the maxilla is wider than the mandible. This contributes to ‘overgrowths’ of sharp enamel points on the buccal aspects of the maxillary and lingual aspects of the mandibular arcades. This anatomical predisposition is compounded by the effects of domestication and the reduced mastication and altered chewing cycle of concentrate diets. Discrepancies in length and position of the mandible and maxilla can also cause the frequently encountered problem of rostral (06) and caudal (11) focal overgrowths (Fig 1) ...