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Dentistry in Pocket Pets and Exotics
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Physioanatomy
The focus of this presentation is on rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas who have continuously growing (aradicular hypsodont = long-crowned with no anatomical root) incisor and cheek teeth to compensate for constant wear. Their intraorally extending parts are called clinical crowns, and the subgingivally extending parts are called reserve crowns. Rabbits have one pair of mandibular and two pairs of smaller maxillary incisors. They have three maxillary and two mandibular premolars on each side and three molar teeth in both the maxilla and mandible. These cheek teeth are arranged in parallel rows, and the maxillary dental arch is wider than the mandibular dental arch. Rabbits have a wide range of lateral chewing action. Rodents have one large, incisor tooth in each jaw quadrant. Its enamel is pigmented, except in the guinea pig. Incisors are used for dorsoventral gnawing. Guinea pigs and chinchillas have one premolar and three molars in each jaw quadrant. Their cheek teeth diverge from rostral to caudal. The occlusal surfaces of the cheek teeth are nearly horizontal in the chinchilla. Contrary to rabbits, the mandibular dental arch is wider than the maxillary dental arch, particularly in the guinea pig that has strongly curved cheek teeth with occlusal planes at an angle of about 30 degrees to the horizontal plane. Guinea pigs and chinchillas have long mandibular fossae, in which the mandibular condyles glide in a rostrocaudal direction.
Pathophysiology
There is increasing evidence that inappropriate physical form and composition of the diet may be responsible for tooth elongation and associated conditions in captive lagomorphs and rodents. Chewing a lower volume of high-energy, but less abrasive, food reduces tooth wear relative to continued tooth growth, and thus tooth elongation can result. Incisor and/or cheek tooth elongation can result in formation of enamel spikes and spurs on the buccal and lingual surfaces of the maxillary and mandibular cheek teeth, causing mucosal trauma, oral pain and ptyalism. In guinea pigs, the mandibular premolar teeth often grow across and trap the tongue. Reduced food intake, reluctance to chew and inability to fully close the mouth exacerbate further tooth elongation. Drooling of saliva (called ‘slobbers’ in rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas) can cause hair loss and dermatitis at the chin, neck and forequarters. Elongation of the reserve crown results in extension of the tooth apices into periapical tissues and palpable swellings on the ventral surface of the mandible. Epiphora, conjunctivitis and exophthalmos may develop when the maxilla and the orbital floor become involved. Osteomyelitis and mandibular and maxillary abscesses are frequently seen. [...]
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